Training guide
A side plank is lying on your side, propped on one forearm with your elbow under your shoulder, and lifting your hips until you're straight from head to heels. Hold it only as long as you keep that line: 3 holds of 15 to 40 seconds a side, or repeated 10-second holds. Start on your knees if that's too hard.
It trains your obliques, the deep quadratus lumborum, the side of your hip and, more than most people expect, your supporting shoulder. Hold times vary with body size and from one day to the next, so compare yourself with yourself rather than with a chart.
This guide covers the steps on the 3D figure, how long to hold and how to progress, the hold times in one study, your shoulder, back pain and scoliosis, and the warning signs.
Lie on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and your head in line with your spine. Breathe out, brace gently and lift your hips until your body makes one line from head to heels, your weight on your forearm and the side of your bottom foot. If that's too hard, start with your knees bent behind you.
Only as long as you keep the straight line: 3 holds of 15 to 40 seconds a side, or repeated 10-second holds in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1, as our plank guide sets out. Once about 45 to 60 seconds is easy, make it harder rather than longer.
The obliques, the quadratus lumborum and the side of the hip. In a fine-wire study, the side bridge gave the most ab-wall activity for the least hip flexor activity of the holds tested; the quadratus lumborum worked at 54% of its maximum, and glute medius and outer oblique activity passed 45%.
In 24 women, the shoulder (deltoid) tired as fast as the obliques during a side bridge, and how fast both tired predicted how long they held it. If your supporting shoulder hurts, drop to your knees or stop.
Source 7
In one study of 45 recreational athletes, men held a side bridge for about 2 minutes and women for about 1 minute 40 to 1 minute 50 seconds, heavier men held for less, and times varied by 15 to 17% between test days. We found no norms by age.
Source 8
Side planks are one of the McGill big three for the back, and core exercise helps back pain about as much as other exercise, as our plank guide explains. A daily one-sided side plank reduced scoliosis curves in an uncontrolled series of 25 people, but not in a randomised trial of 64 teenagers, only 22 of whom kept it up.
Propped on one forearm with your elbow under your shoulder, you lift your hips until you're straight from head to heels, resting on the side of your bottom foot. The knee side plank bends your knees behind you so your knees, not your feet, take the weight. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) rates the straight-leg version intermediate.
Your spine stays still against a sideways load: gravity tries to bend your trunk towards the floor, and the muscles on the lower side hold it straight. The muscles at the side of your bottom hip hold your pelvis up, and your bottom shoulder carries your upper body.
The quadratus lumborum, a deep muscle between your lowest rib and your pelvis, worked at 54% of its maximum in the side support, more than other muscles, in 4 adults with fine-wire electrodes. Glute medius and external oblique activity passed 45% of maximum in 30 adults, and lifting the top leg drove glute medius activity to 89 to 103% in 24 adults. These are muscle activity (EMG, electromyography) studies: they show effort in a few reps, not what a muscle builds.
In 24 women, deltoid fatigue predicted side bridge time along with oblique fatigue, and the authors question whether the test measures trunk endurance alone. In 45 recreational athletes, men with broader shoulders held a side bridge for less time.
The knee side plank, the side plank, the side plank with a leg lift, the Copenhagen plank (with your top leg on a bench), the push-up to side plank and the Pilates side bend. Hip dips, a straight-arm side plank and staggered feet are cues on the side plank.
Fine-wire and surface muscle activity studies agree that the side plank works the obliques, the quadratus lumborum and the glute medius at moderate to high levels, and that lifting the top leg works the glute medius hardest of the moves tested. They are small studies of a few reps.
In one study of 45 recreational athletes, side bridge times were about 118 to 123 seconds for men and 101 to 110 for women, a difference that wasn't statistically significant. The typical error between test days was 15 to 17%, and heavier men held for less time. In 75 young adults, men held the side bridge for 99% as long as their front-of-trunk hold and women for 79%.
In 24 recreational women, the deltoids worked and tired as much as the trunk's side muscles, and side bridge time was predicted by deltoid and outer oblique fatigue, and by body mass and trunk height. The test's typical error was 11 seconds.
Source 7
Four holds each of side, front and back bridges and bird dogs, twice a week for 6 weeks, didn't improve trunk endurance or balance against people who didn't train, in 60 active young men.
Source 13
The McGill method of short, repeated holds, as ACE and Harvard Health describe it, comes from lab studies and clinical practice; our plank guide found no trial comparing short holds with long ones.
A programme built on the Copenhagen adduction exercise, a side plank with the top leg on a bench, cut groin problems in footballers: on average 13.5% had groin problems during the season, against 21.3% of those training as normal, in 652 players.
Source 14
Core exercise helps chronic back pain about as much as other exercise, not more, as our plank guide explains. In 117 adults, people with back pain held front planks longer, not shorter, and plank time didn't predict back pain.
Source 15
A daily one-sided side plank reduced curves by 32% in an uncontrolled series of 25 people, but made no difference in a randomised trial of 64 teenagers, only 22 of whom kept it up; the method's originator says that trial mixed types of curve. Across 10 trials of core stabilisation work, curves were about 4 degrees smaller than with no exercise, and less improved than with scoliosis-specific exercise.
Steps from ACE, Harvard Health, ACE's McGill big three article and our move pages. Stop if your supporting shoulder hurts.
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The movement on the figure: Side plank
From Harvard Health's McGill big three and our move page.
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The movement on the figure: Knee side plank
3 holds of 15 to 40 seconds a side, ending each when your hips start to sag, or repeated 10-second holds in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1, as our plank guide and McGill big 3 routine use.
Knee side planks, 2 or 3 holds of 15 to 30 seconds each side; move to your feet once 3 knee holds of 30 seconds are steady, as our plank challenge workout does.
Once about 45 to 60 seconds is easy, lift your top leg or move to a harder version rather than holding for longer, as our plank guide advises. With the McGill method, add a rep to each set (6, 4, 2), not seconds, as our McGill big 3 routine does.
2 or 3 days a week, or modest daily doses, as our plank guide suggests.
Breathe normally throughout: holding your breath raises your blood pressure, as our plank guide explains.
Men held a side bridge for about 2 minutes (118 to 123 seconds) and women for about 1 minute 40 to 1 minute 50 seconds (101 to 110), a difference that wasn't statistically significant. Heavier men held for less time, and the authors suggest adjusting norms for body size.
Source 8
The typical error between test days was 15 to 17% in that study, and 11 seconds in another study of 24 women, so treat a change smaller than about 20 seconds as noise (our reading).
In 75 young adults, men held the side bridge for 99% as long as their front-of-trunk hold and 65% as long as their back-extensor hold; women for 79% and 39%.
Source 12
We found no norms by age that we could check. Compare yourself with yourself: time each side once a month at most, fresh and with the same set-up, as our plank guide suggests for tests.
Knee side planks (2 or 3 holds of 15 to 30 seconds), side planks (2 or 3 holds of 15 to 40 seconds) and leg lifts (2 sets of 5 to 8 each side) follow our plank challenge workout and Copenhagen planks (3 holds of 15 to 20 seconds each side) our advanced core workout, with staggered feet as an easier balance and hip dips as a moving version of the side plank.
3D demoKnee side plankBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoSide plank with leg liftAdvanced · No equipment
3D demoPush-up to side plank (T push-up)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or box
3D demoSide bend (Pilates)Advanced · No equipmentEnd the hold when your hips start to sag, as our plank guide advises.
Keep it stacked over the bottom one, as our move page cues.
Keep your elbow right under your shoulder and press your forearm into the floor, as our move pages cue.
Breathe normally; counting out loud helps, as our plank guide suggests.
Keep your head in line with your spine.
Source 1
Make it harder rather than longer, as our plank guide advises.
Do the same holds each side; if one side is weaker, start with it (our suggestion).
Your bottom shoulder holds up much of your upper body: in 24 women, the deltoid tired as fast as the obliques, and its fatigue helped predict how long they held the side bridge.
Source 7
Elbow directly under your shoulder, forearm pressing into the floor, top hip stacked, as our move pages cue.
Use the knee side plank and keep the holds short, or train the side of your hip with side-lying leg raises (12 each side, from our glute workout at home) and your trunk's side-to-side control standing up, with suitcase carries (2 times 30 metres each side, from our kettlebell workout) or Pallof presses (2 sets of 8 to 10 each side, from our full-body gym workout B). This is our editorial advice.
See a GP if shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks.
Source 18
Core exercise helps back pain about as much as other exercise, as our plank guide explains, and plank times say little about back health: in 117 adults, people with back pain held front planks longer, not shorter.
Source 15
Side planks train your trunk without bending, which is why they're one of the McGill big three, with the curl-up and the bird dog.
Source 3
A daily one-sided side plank helped in an uncontrolled series but not in a randomised trial in which few people kept it up, and the method's originator says the trial mixed types of curve. Core stabilisation work does a little, but less than scoliosis-specific exercise. Our scoliosis guide covers what does help.
Use the knee side plank, keep the holds short, or use the alternatives in the shoulder section above.
Our hip bursitis guide uses knee side planks; aim for no increase in outer hip pain during them.
The NHS says you can carry on with activity you already do, and to stop if you feel uncomfortable, too hot or unwell. Our prenatal routines use kneeling and side-lying core work; ask your midwife about side planks as your bump grows (our suggestion).
Source 19
The NHS advises avoiding planks to start with; build up with gentle tummy exercises first.
Source 20
Breathe throughout and keep the holds short. With heart failure, the British Heart Foundation advises avoiding planks, as our plank guide explains; ask your heart team.
The plank challenge workout takes you from knee side planks to the leg lift with move-on rules; the McGill big 3 uses short holds on your knees.
A 12-minute plank session for the 30-day plank challenge: front planks that get harder, not longer, plus side planks and bird dogs for the whole trunk.
12 minBeginner12 movesNo equipmentThe McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.
12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipmentA 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.
15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipmentAn intermediate ab workout with no equipment: planks, side planks, reverse crunches, hollow holds and mountain climbers.
20 minIntermediate7 movesNo equipmentHard core training: ab wheel rollouts, hanging leg raises, L-sits, Copenhagen planks, plank walk-ups and dragon flags.
30 minAdvanced6 movesAn ab wheel, Pull-up barSide planks come round each week of the 30-day challenge.
If back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, loss of feeling around your genitals or bottom, or changes in your bladder or bowels; or for severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or not being able to put weight on your leg. During any exercise, stop and get help for chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting, as our plans advise.
For sudden or very bad shoulder pain; not being able to move your arm; a shoulder or arm that has changed shape or is badly swollen; pins and needles that don't go away; no feeling in your arm or shoulder; an arm or shoulder that's hot or cold to touch; pain that started after an injury or fall; or a swollen, hot hip, or hip pain with a high temperature. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.
If shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks; hip pain hasn't improved after 2 weeks of self-care or affects your sleep; or back pain hasn't improved after a few weeks of treating it at home.
Tired obliques and a tired shoulder are normal. Sharp pain in your supporting shoulder, pain at the outside of the hip that rises during the hold, or back pain that spreads down a leg isn't: drop to your knees or stop, and see our shoulder, hip bursitis or back pain guide.
Training a body part doesn't remove the fat over it. Side planks strengthen the muscles underneath.
No study backs a target like that. In one study of 45 recreational athletes, times depended on body size and varied by 15 to 17% between test days. Beyond about 45 to 60 seconds, a harder version trains you more than a longer hold, as our plank guide explains.
Source 8
Curves fell 32% in an uncontrolled series of 25 people but didn't change in a randomised trial of 64 teenagers, only 22 of whom kept up the exercises; the method's originator says that trial mixed types of curve.
We found no trial showing it. Front plank time didn't predict back pain in a study of 117 adults, and core exercise helps back pain about as much as other exercise.
Source 15
It works the quadratus lumborum and the side of your hip too, and your shoulder, which tired as fast as the trunk muscles in one study.
Lie on your side with your elbow under your shoulder, legs stacked and head in line. Breathe out and lift your hips until you're straight from head to heels, then hold while breathing normally. Start on your knees if that's too hard.
Only as long as you keep a straight line: 3 holds of 15 to 40 seconds a side, or repeated 10-second holds in sets of 5, 3 and 1. Once about 45 seconds is easy, make it harder rather than longer.
In one study of 45 recreational athletes, men held a side bridge for about 2 minutes and women for about 1 minute 40 to 1 minute 50 seconds, and heavier men held for less. Times varied by 15 to 17% between test days, and we found no norms by age, so compare yourself with yourself.
The obliques, the quadratus lumborum deep in your lower back, the side of your hip (the glute medius) and your supporting shoulder. Lifting your top leg works the side of your hip much harder.
The knee side plank, with your knees bent behind you at about a right angle. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds a side, and move to your feet once 3 holds of 30 seconds are steady.
Your bottom shoulder holds up much of your upper body, and in one study it tired as fast as the side abs. Keep your elbow right under your shoulder and push the floor away; if it hurts, use your knees or stop. See a GP if shoulder pain isn't better after 2 weeks.
Neither: they train different directions. The plank resists sagging and the side plank resists bending sideways, so do both.
They're part of the McGill big three, and core exercise helps back pain about as much as other exercise. They're a good choice if bending forward flares your back, but not a cure.
It isn't proven. A daily one-sided side plank reduced curves in an uncontrolled series but not in a randomised trial in which few people kept it up. Our scoliosis guide covers what does help.
No: exercising a body part doesn't remove the fat over it. Side planks do strengthen the muscles underneath.
Once about 45 seconds is easy, make it harder rather than longer. Lift your top leg, add hip dips, or move to the Copenhagen plank, with your top leg on a bench. A programme built on the Copenhagen plank cut groin problems in footballers.
Yes, at modest doses, such as a few holds of 10 to 30 seconds a side, if your shoulder and back feel fine. Beyond about 45 to 60 seconds, a harder version trains you more than a longer hold.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
