Obliques · Isolation movement

Side Plank Hip Dip

A isolation exercise that targets the obliques with secondary work in abs. Performed with bodyweight.

Primary muscle

Obliques

Secondary muscles

Abs

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

What is the Side Plank Hip Dip?

The side plank hip dip takes a static side plank and makes it dynamic: from the propped-up side-lying position you lower the hip toward the floor and raise it back up, so the obliques load through a range instead of just holding. It is a bodyweight way to train side-bending strength and control of the trunk.

Muscles worked

Primary — Obliques
The obliques on the down side are the prime mover, lengthening as the hip drops and then contracting to lift the pelvis back up — loaded lateral flexion of the trunk with an anti-lateral-flexion component at the top.
Secondary — Abs
The abs — the rectus abdominis and the deeper wall — stabilise the trunk so the pelvis stays stacked and the dip stays a clean side-bend rather than a twist or sag.

How to perform the Side Plank Hip Dip

  1. Set up in a side plank on the forearm with the body in a straight line and hips lifted off the floor.
  2. Stack the feet and shoulders and keep the supporting elbow directly under the shoulder for stability.
  3. Brace the core so the top hip stacks over the bottom hip at the starting height.
  4. Lower the bottom hip toward the floor a few inches, then drive it back up by contracting the down-side obliques.
  5. Repeat for reps keeping the movement slow, then switch to the other side and match the count.

Suggested working range: 10–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation built on the side-plank base: the spine flexes and extends laterally as the hip travels down and up over a short range, all supported on one forearm and the edge of the feet. Unlike a static plank it adds movement, so the obliques work through a stretch-and-shorten cycle instead of a pure isometric hold.

Form cues

  • •Stack the shoulders, hips and feet in one line and lower the hip straight down, not forward or back into a twist.
  • •Dip only until you feel the down-side obliques stretch, then drive the hip up until the body is a straight line again.
  • •Keep the supporting shoulder packed down away from the ear so the trunk, not the arm, carries the work.

Common mistakes

  • •Letting the hips drift forward or backward so the body leaves its straight side-plank line.
  • •Placing the supporting elbow ahead of the shoulder, which strains the joint and drops the hip.
  • •Dipping so fast that momentum, not the obliques, drives the hip back up each rep.

Variations & alternatives

  • •Side plank — the static hold this is built on, a good regression when the dips get sloppy.
  • •Cable side bend — a loaded standing lateral flexion to add resistance the bodyweight dip cannot.
  • •Oblique crunch — a floor-based oblique movement that adds the rotation this side-bend leaves out.
Oblique Crunch exercise demonstration — targets the obliques

Oblique Crunch

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Cable Side Bend

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Seated Spinal Twist exercise demonstration — targets the obliques

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Standing Side-Bend Stretch exercise demonstration — targets the obliques

Standing Side-Bend Stretch

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Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Run it for 10–20 controlled reps per side as an oblique and lateral-trunk finisher, keeping the body in a straight line rather than chasing reps. When bodyweight becomes easy, slow the tempo or progress to a loaded side bend rather than just adding numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How low should I dip my hip?

Lower until you feel a clear stretch in the down-side obliques, usually a few inches from the floor, then reverse. Touching the floor is fine if you keep the body stacked, but do not let the hip collapse and rest between reps.

My supporting shoulder gives out first — what do I do?

Drop back to a static side plank to build the shoulder and trunk endurance, or perform the dips from the knees instead of the feet to shorten the lever until the obliques, not the shoulder, are the limit.

Use this exercise in a program

The Side Plank Hip Dip fits naturally into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize obliques volume.

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