Side Plank

Teaching points

• Lay on your side with the forearm of the bottom arm on the floor and the elbow bent so the fingers point away from you
  
  
• Rest your other arm on your top side
  
  
• Keep one foot on top of the other and raise your body up, off the ground
  
  
• Maintain a straight line from neck to feet
  
  
• Hold for up to 60 seconds

Variations & progressions

• Place one foot just in front of the other to increase the base of support

Muscles worked

• Rectus abdominus
  
  
• Transversus abdominus
  
  
• Internal obliques
  
  
• External obliques

Alternative exercises

• Plank
  
  
• Twisting crunch
  
  
• Sitting twist using a resistance band
  
  
• Standing twist using a resistance band

Related injuries

• Abdominal strain
  
  
• Lower back pain