Side Plank

The plank's harder sibling — the side wall of your core, built one hold at a time.

Obliques, CoreNoneBeginner
TARGET MUSCLES

Setup

  1. On your side: elbow under shoulder, feet stacked.
  2. Lift hips until head-to-heels is one straight line.

How To Do It

  1. Hold with everything squeezed — glutes, obliques, quads.
  2. Breathe steadily behind the brace.
  3. 20–40 quality seconds per side.

Breathing

Steady shallow breaths, never held.

Common Mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor — lift and lock.
  • Rolling forward or back — stacked and square.
Coach Sam's cue: Tall through the hip — be a plank, sideways.

Programming It

GoalSetsRepsRest
Strength3–54–62–3+ min
Muscle3–48–1260–90 sec
Endurance / Conditioning2–315–2030–45 sec

Form guide for educational purposes — not medical advice. New to training or working around an issue? Apply for coaching and get a plan built for your body.