Side Plank

CoreBW

One of Stuart McGill's 'Big 3' spine-health exercises. Lying on one side, the hips lift off the floor so the body forms a straight line, training the obliques and quadratus lumborum to resist lateral flexion.

Demo: Eccentric Physio

Sets

3

Reps

20-40 sec per side

Rest

45s

Contraindications

Shoulder pain in the supporting arm — reduce hold time or regress to knees.

Setup

Lie on your side, forearm on the floor perpendicular to the body, elbow under the shoulder, legs stacked and extended.

Execution

  1. 1Brace the core before lifting the hips
  2. 2Lift the hips off the floor until the body forms a straight line from shoulder to feet
  3. 3Keep the hips from sagging toward the floor or piking forward
  4. 4Hold for time, breathing steadily
  5. 5Lower with control and switch sides

Key cues

  • Straight line from shoulder to ankle
  • Stack the hips, don't let them rotate open
  • Push down through the forearm to lift higher
  • Look straight ahead, neck relaxed

Common faults

  • Hips sagging toward the floor
  • Hips rotating forward instead of staying stacked
  • Shoulder collapsing into the supporting elbow
  • Head dropping or craning forward
  • Top leg swinging forward for balance instead of staying stacked

Tweaks

  • Bend the knees for an easier regression
  • Add a hip drop and lift for dynamic tension
  • Progress to elevated feet or added weight

Regressions

Side Plank (From Knees)

Progressions

Side Plank with Hip DropElevated Side PlankWeighted Side Plank

Muscles

Primary: Obliques, Quadratus Lumborum

Secondary: Glutes, Shoulders

Notes

ANTI-LATERAL FLEXION. One of McGill's Big 3 — foundational spine-health exercise.

Sources

Attribution: Stuart McGill (Big 3)