Side Plank Hip Adduction (bent knee)

Description

How to Do Side Plank Hip Adduction (bent knee)

1. 1
   Setup

   Lie on your side with your bottom forearm directly under your shoulder, elbow bent 90 degrees, and bottom knee bent at 90 degrees behind you for stability.

2. 2
   Setup

   Extend your top leg straight out, stacked directly on top of your bottom leg, with your foot dorsiflexed (toes pointing forward). Engage your core.

3. 3

   Press through your bottom forearm and hip to lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from your head to your bent bottom knee, entering a modified side plank.

4. 4

   Keeping your hips stable, slowly lift your bottom leg off the floor, bringing your inner thigh towards your top leg. Exhale as you lift.

5. 5

   Hold briefly at the top, then slowly lower your bottom leg back down with control, without letting your hips sag. Inhale as you lower.

Tips

• Maintain a neutral spine and keep your core engaged throughout the movement to prevent your hips from sagging or rotating.
• Focus on initiating the lift of your bottom leg using your inner thigh muscles (adductors), rather than relying on momentum or hip flexors.
• Keep the movement slow and controlled, both on the lift and the lowering phase, to maximize time under tension for the adductor muscles.
• Imagine pushing the floor away with your supporting forearm to maintain strong shoulder stability and avoid collapsing into your shoulder.

Common Mistakes

• ×Allowing the hips to sag towards the floor compromises core engagement; actively push your hips up and forward to maintain a straight line.
• ×Using momentum to swing the bottom leg up reduces muscle activation; focus on a slow, deliberate lift with your inner thigh muscles.
• ×Letting the body rotate forward or backward disengages the obliques; keep your torso stacked directly sideways throughout the exercise.