Elevated Side Plank

CoreBWBench

A side plank with the feet elevated on a bench or box, increasing the lever arm and the anti-lateral flexion demand substantially compared to a floor-based side plank.

Demo: Eccentric Physio

Sets

3

Reps

20-30 sec per side

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Master standard side plank for 45+ seconds before attempting.

Setup

Place the feet on an elevated bench, set up in a standard side plank position with the forearm on the floor.

Execution

  1. 1Brace the core before lifting the hips
  2. 2Lift the hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulder to ankle, feet elevated
  3. 3Resist the increased demand to sag toward the floor
  4. 4Hold for time, breathing steadily
  5. 5Lower with control and switch sides

Key cues

  • Straight line despite the added height
  • Push hard through the forearm
  • Resist the sag, the elevation makes it harder
  • Stack the hips, don't rotate

Common faults

  • Hips sagging more than in the standard side plank due to increased lever arm
  • Losing the straight line under the added difficulty
  • Attempting before mastering the standard side plank for 45+ seconds
  • Shoulder collapsing under the greater demand

Tweaks

  • Lower the bench height for a regression
  • Add a top-leg lift for even more difficulty
  • Progress toward weighted side plank once mastered

Regressions

Side PlankSide Plank with Hip Drop

Progressions

Weighted Side Plank

Muscles

Primary: Obliques, Quadratus Lumborum

Secondary: Glutes, Shoulders

Notes

ANTI-LATERAL FLEXION, advanced lever-length progression.

Sources

Attribution: Stuart McGill (Big 3), elevated progression per general S&C canon