Side Bend Plank

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie on your side with your legs straight and feet stacked (harder) or staggered (easier) for balance.
2. Prop your upper body up on your forearm, ensuring your elbow is positioned directly underneath your shoulder.
3. Lift your hips off the floor to create a straight line from your head to your heels.
4. Place your top hand on your hip or behind your head to keep the chest open.

How to do it

1. Inhale and slowly lower your hips toward the floor in a controlled motion without letting them touch the ground.
2. Exhale and use your obliques to drive your hips back up to the starting position.
3. At the top of the movement, slightly over-arch the hips upward to maximize the contraction on the bottom side.
4. Perform the movement with a steady tempo, taking 2 seconds to lower and 2 seconds to lift.

Form checklist

• Keep your elbow stacked directly under your shoulder to avoid joint strain.
• Ensure your hips and shoulders remain stacked vertically, not leaning forward or backward.
• Maintain a neutral neck by looking straight ahead rather than down at your feet.
• Keep your core and glutes engaged throughout the entire set to stabilize the spine.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'crunching' the bottom-side oblique at the peak of the movement for maximum muscle fiber recruitment.
• Actively push the floor away with your forearm to keep the serratus anterior and deltoid engaged, preventing your shoulder from collapsing.

Make it harder

• Perform the exercise with your feet elevated on a bench or step to increase the gravitational load on the core.
• Hold a light dumbbell on your top hip to add external resistance to the lateral flexion.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the side bend plank work?

The side bend plank primarily targets the abs, deltoids, and obliques, and also works the erector spinae, glutes, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the side bend plank?

The side bend plank requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the side bend plank good for beginners?

The side bend plank is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• 45 Degrees Arms PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals
• Alternate Knee Raise Side ReachBeginner · abs, deltoids, and obliques
• Alternate Leg Lift Tap Arms CircleIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals
• Alternate Single Leg Raise PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, hamstrings, and obliques