How to Do a Side Plank Correctly: Proper Form for Beginners
Take your core strength to the next level while also protecting the low back.
By Kelan Ern Updated: 04/19/26
When I first did a side plank, it was brutal.
It was in junior high PE class, and I could barely hold my body up for even a few seconds before collapsing to the floor. It was much harder than sit-ups... crunches... or other core exercises. And that's one reason people avoid it.
It's exposes a major core weakness.
Or when people do the exercise they feel pressure in their shoulder more than their midsection (which we'll get to later).
That's why I wrote this exercise guide:
Help you plank correctly and start at your fitness level. That way you can build you core strength and reap all the benefits of this powerful exercise.
In This Article:
How to Do Side Plank Correctly
Two Common Mistakes
Head forward
Rounding forward
How to Make Side Planks Easier
Wall Side Plank
What If Your Shoulder Hurts?
Muscles Worked
Four Benefits of Side Plank
Inner and outer core muscles
Low back health
Reduces spinal curvature
Strengthens lats
Advanced Side Planks
Which Side Plank Should You Start With?
How to Do a Side Plank Correctly
The Set-Up: In the video below, I show you how to set-up for the modified side plank and the regular side plank. Notice I’m not just lifting my hips off the ground. I’m pushing my hips forward and up to get into the proper position.
Modified Side Plank: Lay on your side with your elbow underneath your shoulder. Have your knees bent and your hips back. Bring your hips forward as you lift your torso. Hold this position for 10-60 seconds each side. Regular Side Plank: Lay on your side with your elbow underneath your shoulder. Have your legs straight with your top leg in front of the bottom leg. Start with the hips back. Bring your hip forward as you lift the torso. Hold this position for 10-60 seconds each side.
Two Common Side Plank Mistakes
Mistake #1: Head forward Don’t let your head jut forward. Bring your head back with a slight chin tuck (think make a double-chin)
Mistake #2: Rounding forward Don’t let your body roll sideways. When you raise your arm it should point towards the ceiling.
How to Make Side Planks Easier
Side planks can be rough at first, start with the modified side plank. If that is still too difficult here’s another variation to make them easier:
Wall Side Plank: Stand in a staggered stance (one foot in front of the other) and lean against the wall. Keep your body in a straight line. Don’t let the hips sag as you do so. Hold this position for 10-60 seconds each side.
Note: Just like the other variations, keep your head in a proper position (not jutting it forward). Also make sure your spine is in a straight line.
Oh, and make sure the wall is solid. Avoid using bookshelves...dressers... or screen doors ;)
What If My Shoulder Hurts During Side Planks?
Since you are loading your weight on one arm, it’s common to have shoulder discomfort.
If you’ve had previous shoulder pain (or impingement), be cautious with normal side planks. In fact, if you’ve had a previous shoulder injury, you may want to avoid side planks altogether and opt for the second option below:
Option 1: Hand on Shoulder Grab the shoulder with an open hand and actively try to pack the shoulder down (opposite of shrugging your shoulders). This stabilizes the shoulder, gives you more clearance at the joint, and can alleviate the pressure.
Option 2: Side Lying Leg Raise: Lay on your side with one hand in front of you and a pillow underneath your head. Keep your body in a straight line and raise your legs. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat five times each side.
Side Plank Muscles Worked
Side plank targets three key core muscles: external obliques, TVA and QL. Each of these muscles plays a unique role in stabilizing the spine, maintaining good posture and supporting you during everyday movements. Together, they help you create a stronger, more balanced core.
External Obliques
If you put your hands in your front pockets, that follows a rough path of your external obliques. These muscles help you rotate your torso, bend to one side and prevent you from collapsing sideways.
Transverse Abdominus (TVA)
Beneath the abdominals and obliques is the TVA. It's sometimes referred to as the "corset muscle" because it runs horizontally across the midsection. It reflexively stabilizes your spine whenever you move your arms and legs. If a fitness professional has ever told you to pull in your belly button to your spine during a workout, it's to activate this core muscle.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
The QL attaches in your lower back from your lowest rib to the top of your pelvis. This deep core muscle helps hold you upright and stabilizes your spine when you bend to the side.
Four Benefits of Side Planks
#1: Strengthen the Outer and Inner Wall Think of core muscles like inner and outer walls of a building.
The "outer wall" consists of the muscles around the outside of the midsection - the kind most people want to sculpt. The most common of these beach muscles are the abdominals and obliques (which run along the outside of your midsection). Most fitness enthusiasts only care about these six-pack muscles.
The "inner wall" consists of muscles like TVA and QL which get less attention because they are not visible. In fact, most people don't even know they exist. But these deep muscles are vital for moving pain-free and protecting the spine.
Side planks are special because they work both "outer wall" and "inner wall" core muscles. Plus, they don't isolate them. They work them together. According to one of the top spine experts on the planet, Dr. Stuart McGill:
“It [side plank] is one of the few exercises that works to integrate the QL muscle together with the abdominal wall.”
#2: Lower Back Health
When these core muscles are firing properly (and together) they create stability at the lower back. This stability helps protect your lower back when you’re shoveling… lifting a barbell off the ground… or moving a futon. The more stable your lower back is, the more protected it is from injuries.
In fact, a 2016 study found that lack of core endurance was a large predictor of generalized lower back pain.
Plus, this increase in spinal stability has been shown to even...
#3: Reduce Spinal Curvature
Yes, research has shown that side planks can even help with scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine). In a small study published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 25 subjects were told to hold a side plank for 90 seconds, 3 days per week for 3 months.
The result: All subjects reduced the spinal curvature by at least 32%. Some reduced it by as much as 49.6%!
#4: Strengthens One of The Largest Back Muscles
When the side plank is done correctly, you can actually strengthen one of the largest back muscles (called the latissimus dorsi). That's because you are contracting this muscle when you keep your shoulder down during the exercise.
Advanced: Side Plank March
If side planks are a piece of Angel food cake and you want to crank up the intensity a few notches - here's an advanced side plank variation that will do the trick.
Credit for this brutal variation goes to strength coach Eric Cressey. The side plank with march will challenge your obliques way more than a regular side plank. And it's going to fire up hip muscles (like the glute medius) that are crucial for knee health. Do 10-20 marches per side.
(Psychologically this variation is great because you are counting reps instead of staring at the clock.)
Which Side Plank Should You Start With?
My recommendation: start with modified side plank.
If those are too difficult, start with wall side plank.
If they are too easy, switch to regular.
Either way, it's one of the biggest bang-for-your-buck exercises because of how many core muscles it works at once. Remember: it's not just working "outer core" muscles but "inner core" muscles as well.
Plus, it will give you the foundation and fortitude to work your way into more advanced side plank variations.
Whatever the case, put them into your workouts.
Whether you do them in your warm-up, during your workout or randomly during commercial breaks - this is an exercise to master and see how much stronger your core becomes.
Kelan Ern Elite Fitness Coaching
P.S. If you need an extra nudge to stay motivated and go further, faster on your fitness journey - grab a free issue of the Mind-Body Breakthroughs where I do a deep-dive on the mindsets and strategies of some of the fittest athletes of all time.
