Side Plank: Benefits, Variations, Muscles Worked, How To Do

The Side plank is a great bodyweight exercise that helps you develop the strength and stability of your core. Your muscles are strengthened without moving your limbs.

It helps to strengthen the oblique abdominal muscles, which don’t get worked as much during abs exercises such as crunches. It also targets the back, hips, and leg muscles.

The most common side plank is the forearm plank, in which your body’s weight is borne on forearms, elbows, and toes. It has many variations, such as side plank rotation and Side plank hip dip.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Muscles Worked During Side Plank
• Benefits of Doing It
• How To Do Side Plank Properly
• The best variation of the Side plank

Muscles Worked During Side Plank Exercises

The side plank position effectively engages a wide range of major muscle groups.

• Primary muscles worked:: External and internal obliques, transversus Abdominis, abdominis, and hip muscle.
• Secondary and stabilizing muscles worked: gluteus maximus (glutes), quadriceps (quads), and hamstrings.
• In addition, the position uses the Serratus Anterior, lateral deltoids, and Trapezius of the upper body

How To Do Forearm Side Plank

1. Get in a side plank position by lying on your right side on the floor, with your left foot resting on top of the inner side of your right foot. Your left arm rests on top of your left side.
2. Raise your body by placing your right forearm flat on the floor to be perpendicular to your torso.
3. Lift your torso until your right upper arm is straight underneath you, with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your forearm flat on the floor.
4. In this position, only your right forearm and the outer side of your right foot contact the floor, and your body forms a diagonal line at about a 20-degree angle to the floor.
5. Keep your abs pulled in tight and hold this position for as long as you can, and then repeat on the left side.

Techniques And Tips For The Perfect Side Plank

• If you are new to it, I recommend mastering the basic knee plank before moving on to the full-side plank variation.
• Do not let your hip sag or your butt rise. Ensure your body is straight and rigid.
• Squeeze your abs and glutes throughout the movement for stability.
• Don’t let your shoulders roll forward. Keep your chest up and shoulders back.
• Make sure that you aren’t rotating toward the ground.
• Your neck should be aligned with your body, not tilted up, which could strain the neck. Keep your gaze down at the floor.
• For the beginner, try holding the plank position for 10–20 seconds. Over time, work up to 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
• Don’t focus too much on the clock, quality is more important than quantity. When your form begins to suffer, it is time to give up.
• Although it’s important to concentrate on perfect form, don’t forget to breathe, as lack of oxygen can cause dizziness or nausea.

Benefits Of Doing The Side Plank

1. Strengthening Upper and Lowe Body

• It is an all-in-one upper and Lower strengthening workout Body. You work all the muscles in your core and receive all the benefits of a strong core. In the Upper body, it targets the Trapezius, Serratus Anterior, lateral deltoids, Trapezius, Rhomboid, and arms and in the Lower body, it targets the calf muscles, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
• The plank exercise is an excellent way to strengthen your core muscles. You can experience improved posture, enhanced spinal support, and reduced lower back pain.
• Side planking improves functional movement, the kind of movement that is needed to live life. Squat, bending, running and lifting are all functional movements initiated in the core.
• Crunches and sit-ups mainly target the front and side abs, neglecting the back and deeper core muscles. Planks, however, engage the entire core—front, sides, back, and deep stabilizers; they also works the glutes, shoulders, and more.
• Side plank variation is a combination of strength and cardiovascular training. It can also help you burn calories and regulate your weight.
• The main advantage of side planks is the variety of possible exercises. There is a plank routine for everyone and every fitness level.
• The side plank isn’t just for core strength—it also boosts balance and coordination. Studies show that adding instability increases muscle activation, improving stability and control (Baritello et al., 2019).

15 Best Side Plank Variations

The best side plank exercise and its variations to build a strong core are listed here. Once you’ve mastered the basic plank, there are many variations you can try to make the exercise more challenging.

• If you are new to performing sides, you may want to apply a few modifications to make the exercise easier—one way to do knee side plank and another way to reduce the plank time.
• If you want a more advanced variation to stimulate different muscle fibres in the core, try elevated plank, Side Plank With Row, Stability Ball Forearm and Medicine ball Plank.

1. Modified side plank (Side Plank on knee)

If you’re new to planking, master this modified knee plank before moving on to the plank variation. It is the beginner variation of the plank exercise.

Once you master the plank on your knees, you can move up to a full forearm plank.

• Level: Beginners

How To Do

1. Get in a side plank position by lying on your right side on the floor with your left knee resting on your right knee and your left arm resting on top of your left side.
2. Raise your body by placing your left arm flat on the floor.
3. Lift your torso until your left upper arm is straight underneath you.
4. Your body forms a diagonal line at about a 20-degree angle to the floor.
5. Keep your abs pulled in tight and hold this position for as long as you can, and then repeat on the left side.

2. High Side Plank

Maintaining a high level of stability with the body in a high-side plank position is a benchmark for fitness and core strength.

This exercise challenges your balance and requires you to activate and work your stabilizer muscles as you hold your plank.

• Level: Beginners To Intermediate

How To Do

1. Get in a plank position
2. Raise your body by placing your left palm flat on the floor to be perpendicular to your torso.
3. Only your left arm and foot are touching the floor in this position.
4. Hold the position for as long as possible, and then repeat on the other side.

3. Incline Side Plank

If you’re new to planks, try the incline side plank. Placing your hand or forearm on an elevated surface, like a bench or step, reduces core pressure. As you strengthen, lower the incline for a challenge.

• Level: Beginners

How To Do

1. Set Up an elevated surface.
2. Place your elbow in the centre of the bench and align it with your shoulder.
3. Keep your legs and body straight.
4. Establish a straight line from your head to your heels.
5. Hold this position for a set amount of time.

4. Side Plank Dips

The side plank dip is also known as the Plank With Hip Dip, which you can use to target the obliques and outer thighs.

Make the lying side hip raise exercise easier by bending your knees and supporting your lower body on the side of your knee instead of your foot.

Make the exercise more challenging by holding a weight on your hip.

• Level: Beginners To Intermediate

How To Do

1. Lie on the floor on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked.
2. Straighten your body and legs.
3. Your feet should be together, and your hip should be resting on the floor.
4. Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you’re balancing on your forearm and feet and your body forms a diagonal line.
5. Slowly bring your hips back to the floor. Repeat on your right side.

5. Side Plank Lateral Raise

The side plank lateral raise is an exercise that combines an isometric plank hold with a dumbbell raise to target both the core and the shoulders.

For this movement, you may not be able to use much weight without disrupting your balance, but even at lightweight, it is a movement that can help address multiple muscle groups in a time-efficient workout.

• Level: Intermediate To Advanced

How To Do

1. Get in a side plank position by lying on your left side on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in your top hand, with your arm resting along the side of your body.
3. Slowly raise the weight, making sure not to extend beyond your shoulder.
4. Slowly lower your arm back down. Complete the desired number of repeats.
5. Repeat the movement on your right side.

6. Side Plank with Hip Abduction

Side plank hip abduction is an advanced variation of plank exercise that targets the obliques and outer thighs.

The hip abductors move your legs away from your body and rotate them at the hip joint. This is important because it keeps your knee and hip joints stable.

• Level: Intermediate To Advanced

How To Do

1. You should get into the plank position.
2. Straighten your body and legs.
3. Lift your right leg at least 6 inches.
4. Slowly bring your feet back together and lower your hip to the floor.
5. Repeat the exercise on your other side.

7. Side Plank with Knee Tuck

It strengthens the core with an emphasis on the obliques. The movement also demands hip control, balance, and coordination.

• Level: Intermediate To Advanced

How To Do

1. Get in a forearm-side plank position.
2. Place your right forearm on the floor, perpendicular to your torso, to raise your body.
3. Lift your torso until your right upper arm is straight underneath you, with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your forearm flat on the floor.
4. Lift your left leg and bend that knee; bring your top knee toward your chest.
5. Pause and then return to the starting position.

8. Side Plank With Rotation

The side plank with rotation exercise develops shoulder and core strength & stability and may even help improve spinal mobility.

To maximize these benefits, ensure you are doing this exercise perfectly.

• Level: Intermediate To Advanced

How To Do

1. Get in a side plank position.
2. Raise your body by placing your left arm (palm) flat on the floor to be perpendicular to your torso.
3. Lift your torso until your left upper arm is straight underneath you.
4. In this position, only your left arm and the outer side of your left foot are in contact with the floor.
5. Reach under and behind your torso with your right hand, keeping your abs braced.
6. Then, repeat on the right side.

9. Rolling Side Plank

The rolling side plank is a core stability exercise that improves strength and endurance. The exercise also increases strength in the lower back and shoulders.

The rolling plank involves switching between left and right planks, with a brief forearm plank in between.

Combining the three poses into one fluid movement challenges your stability and works all core muscles.

• Level: Intermediate To Advanced

How To Do

1. Get in a forearm plank position.
2. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
3. Now roll your left forearm into a side plank with your right arm above you.
4. Then, roll back to the original plank position.
5. Roll to your right forearm into a side plank with your left arm raised above you, and then return to the original plank.

10. Side Plank with Row

The side plank row is an advanced variation of the standard plank, performed by pulling the handle attached to a low pulley cable machine.

You can include this exercise in your regular ab workout routine to improve your core-rotational resistive ability.

• Level: Advanced

How To Do

1. Use a resistance band and attach it to a secure place.
2. Brace your core and raise your body into a side plank on your right side.
3. Bend your right elbow and pull the handle to your rib cage, pushing your hips forward.
4. Slowly straighten your arm back in front of you.
5. Complete all reps on your left side, then switch to your left side.

11. Stability Ball Forearm Side Plank

Stability ball exercises have become popular because they have many benefits. They work the entire core, including the obliques, abdomen, lower back, gluteus, and thighs, and they also increase spinal stability, balance, and coordination.

These unstable planks are more challenging than their stable counterparts.

• Level: Advanced

How To Do

1. Place your elbow in the centre of the stability ball and align your shoulder with your elbow.
2. Press your forearm into the stability ball to support the shoulder joint.
3. Stack your hips and feet on top of one another to create a straight line from your head to your heels.
4. Hold this position for a set amount of time.

12. Bosu Ball Side Plank

The Bosu Ball Side Plank offers a dynamic twist on the classic side plank by adding instability. This exercise is ideal for improving core strength and overall stability.

Level: Advanced

How To Do It

1. Place your elbow on the bosu ball.
2. Keep your glutes and core muscles contracted.
3. Raise the body from the ground. Your body should be straight from your shoulders to your ankles.
4. Hold this position for a set amount of time.

References

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2. A Murtezani, H Hundozi, N Orovcanec, S Sllamniku, T Osmani: A comparison of high intensity aerobic exercise and passive modalities for the treatment of workers with chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled trial: PMID: 21602759
3. D’Agata, Michele N. Staub, Jason P. Scavone, Daniel J. Kane, Gregory M. The Effect of External Dissociative Stimuli on Plank Duration Performed by Male Collegiate Soccer Players Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: October 12, 2022 – Volume – Issue – 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004371 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004371
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5. Byrne, Jeannette M.; Bishop, Nicole S.; Caines, Andrew M.; Crane, Kalynn A.; Feaver, Ashley M: Effect of Using a Suspension Training System on Muscle Activation During the Performance of a Front Plank Exercise doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000510
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Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.