Name: Side Plank.
Also known as: Side Bridge.
Main muscles used: Stomach and sides.
Other muscles used: Shoulders.
Top tips:
- Look down your body and make sure your shoulders, hips, knees and feet are all lined up straight.
- Try to arch your hips up if you can.
- Line up the elbow on the floor and both your shoulders in a dead vertical line.
- Work both sides of your body equally.
Common mistakes:
- Folding at the hips, so your body is bent and jack-knifed.
- Sagging the hips down, so your body slumps.
- Twisting your upper body so your supporting elbow and both shoulders are not in a vertical line.
Comments: The Side Plank is a progression of the Front Plank. It helps strengthen your body and “core” muscles that support and stabilise your spine. These strong muscles then act as a solid foundation in a different plane, from which our limbs can generate effective force. So when you push/pull an object, it moves and your body does not buckle/collapse.