Obliques · Isolation movement
Side Plank
An isolation exercise for the obliques, with the abs working too. No equipment needed.
Looping the start and end of the movement.
Primary muscle
Obliques
Secondary muscles
Abs
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Side Plank
- Lie on your side with the bottom elbow stacked directly under the shoulder and the legs extended, feet stacked or staggered.
- This is anti-lateral-flexion: the hips want to sag toward the floor and your job is to resist that sideways collapse.
- Drive the bottom forearm into the floor and lift the hips until the body forms a straight line from the ankles to the head.
- Brace the obliques on the down side and squeeze the glutes so the hips stay stacked and do not rotate forward or back.
- Keep the top shoulder pulled back and breathe steadily through the brace rather than holding your breath.
- Hold for the target time, lower the hip under control when the line breaks, then repeat on the opposite side for balance.
Suggested working range: 30–60 seconds. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Letting the bottom hip sag toward the floor so the body loses its straight line.
- •Placing the supporting elbow ahead of or behind the shoulder instead of stacking it directly underneath.
- •Rotating the torso forward or backward so the hips unstack and the obliques disengage.
- •Holding the breath and clenching rather than breathing steadily through the brace.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Side Plank fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize obliques volume.
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