Side Plank Pull
Strengthen your obliques and core with the Side Plank Pull. This bodyweight exercise targets waist stability and builds lateral core strength effectively.
Description
This exercise involves holding a side plank position while lifting a weight with the top hand.
How to Do Side Plank Pull
- 1Setup
Lie on your side with your forearm on the ground, ensuring your elbow is directly beneath your shoulder. Stack your feet one on top of the other, or place your top foot slightly in front of the bottom foot for increased stability.
- 2Setup
Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels, establishing the top of the side plank position.
- 3
Inhale as you slowly lower your hips towards the ground, maintaining tension in your core and obliques without fully resting your hips on the floor.
- 4
Exhale and powerfully lift your hips back up to the starting side plank position, focusing on squeezing your obliques to initiate and drive the movement.
- 5
Control the entire movement, avoiding any jerky motions, and concentrate on the contraction of your waist muscles with each hip lift.
- 6
Repeat for the desired duration or repetitions on one side before carefully switching to the other side to perform the exercise.
Tips
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise; avoid letting your hips sag towards the floor or arching your back excessively.
- Keep your glutes actively engaged to help stabilize your hips and prevent any unwanted rotation or swaying during the hip lift.
- Focus on a controlled, slow descent and a powerful, deliberate hip lift, ensuring your obliques are doing the work rather than relying on momentum.
- To increase stability, you can slightly stagger your feet by placing your top foot just in front of your bottom foot, creating a wider base of support.
Common Mistakes
- ×Letting the hips sag during the plank or at the top of the lift compromises core engagement; keep your core tight and fully extend your hips to maintain a straight body line.
- ×Using momentum instead of muscle to lift the hips reduces the effectiveness of the exercise; perform each repetition slowly and with controlled power from your obliques.
- ×Not keeping the elbow directly under the shoulder can strain the shoulder joint; adjust your forearm position to ensure proper alignment and support for your upper body.
Variations
Side Plank
Strengthen your obliques and entire core with the side plank. This effective bodyweight exercise builds stability, improves posture, and targets abdominal
Side Plank Leg Lift (left)
Strengthen your obliques and hip abductors with the Side Plank Leg Lift. This bodyweight exercise enhances core stability and glute medius strength.
Side Plank Leg Lift
Strengthen your obliques, glutes, and hips with the Side Plank Leg Lift. This challenging bodyweight exercise improves core stability and hip abduction.
Push Up to Side Plank
Combine strength and stability with the Push Up to Side Plank. Sculpt your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core while improving rotational stability and
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