When it comes to building a strong and well-defined core, the obliques often don’t get the attention they deserve. In a lot of people, they will be referred to as love handles due to fat accumulation in the area. However, they serve multiple functions and will give you a much more aesthetic look if you get rid of the extra body fat covering them up.
The oblique muscles run along the sides of your abdomen and play a crucial role in stabilizing your torso, supporting proper posture, and assisting with rotational movements. Whether you’re an athlete looking to enhance performance, or simply aiming to improve core strength and definition, focusing on your obliques is essential.
How Can You Take Your Obliques to the Next Level?
One of the most effective exercises for targeting the obliques is the side plank. This deceptively simple movement challenges not only your obliques but also your entire core, shoulders, hips, and even legs. By stabilizing your body in an upright position, the side plank engages multiple muscle groups to keep you balanced and steady, making it a powerful move for developing functional strength. Plus, it can easily be modified and adjusted to suit different fitness levels, offering both beginners and advanced athletes plenty of options to increase the difficulty and intensity of the exercise.
To help you add variety and avoid workout plateaus, we’ve compiled a series of side plank variations that will help you continue progressing toward a stronger core. Each variation offers unique benefits, ensuring you can keep your workouts fresh, engaging, and most importantly, effective in targeting your obliques. Whether you’re looking to add a challenge or just shake things up, these side plank variations will deliver results.
1. Traditional Side Plank
The traditional side plank is a simple yet highly effective exercise for strengthening the obliques. It’s a static hold that primarily works the muscles on the side of your abdomen, but it also engages the entire core, shoulders, and lower body to maintain balance and stability. This exercise improves overall core strength and enhances your body’s ability to resist rotational forces, which is essential for functional movement. Additionally, the side plank works to stabilize your spine, promoting better posture and reducing the risk of injury during other exercises or daily activities.
- How to do it: Start by lying on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other. Place your forearm on the floor directly beneath your shoulder, forming a 90-degree angle at the elbow. Engage your core muscles and lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your heels. Your weight should be supported by your forearm and the edge of your bottom foot. Keep your body rigid, with your head aligned with your spine, and your gaze forward. Hold this position for as long as you can while maintaining proper form, then lower yourself down and switch sides.
- Pro tip: To maximize the benefits of the traditional side plank, focus on keeping your core muscles tight and engaged throughout the movement. Avoid letting your hips sag, as this can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise and place unnecessary strain on your lower back. If you’re new to the side plank, start with shorter holds (around 10-20 seconds) and gradually increase the time as you build strength. You can also do them with your supporting arm straightened out to increase the difficulty.
2. Side Plank with Hip Dips
The side plank with hip dips is an excellent progression from the traditional side plank, intensifying the workout by introducing dynamic movement. This variation not only enhances the engagement of your obliques but also activates your deep core muscles, hips, and lower back. The dipping motion adds an additional challenge by keeping your muscles under tension for longer, effectively increasing the endurance of your obliques. The up-and-down movement makes this variation more dynamic, allowing you to target the side muscles of your abdomen while also improving your overall balance and coordination.
- How to do it: Start by setting yourself up in a traditional side plank position with your legs extended and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Your elbow should be directly under your shoulder, with your forearm firmly planted on the ground. Once in position, lower your hips slowly towards the floor, but avoid touching the ground. As your hips lower, you’ll feel a deep stretch in your obliques. From there, engage your core and lift your hips back up to the starting position. The goal is to maintain control throughout the movement, avoiding any jerky or rapid motions. Repeat this up-and-down motion for 10-15 reps on each side.
- Pro tip: Focus on maintaining stability during each hip dip. Keep your core muscles braced and your body in a straight line, avoiding any sagging at the hips or arching of the back. Slower, controlled movements will maximize the tension on your obliques and help prevent injury. If you’re looking for an extra challenge, you can hold the bottom position of the dip for a second or two before returning to the starting position, intensifying the burn in your obliques.
3. Side Plank with Leg Lift
The side plank with leg lift takes the traditional side plank to a more advanced level by incorporating dynamic movement and activating additional muscle groups. This variation not only strengthens the obliques but also engages the glutes, outer thighs (hip abductors), and core stabilizers more intensely. By lifting the top leg, you’re increasing the demand on your balance and coordination, making it a full-body challenge. This move is especially beneficial for athletes or anyone looking to enhance core stability, hip strength, and overall body control. The side plank with leg lift also helps to improve mobility in the hips, which can contribute to better performance in various athletic activities, from running to weightlifting.
- How to do it: Begin in a traditional side plank position with your legs extended and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Ensure your supporting elbow is directly beneath your shoulder, and your core is engaged to maintain a stable position. Once in position, lift your top leg as high as you can without losing control or allowing your form to break. Keep your foot flexed and your leg extended throughout the lift. Slowly lower the leg back down to its starting position, focusing on smooth and controlled movement. Repeat this motion for 10-12 reps on each side, then switch sides to work the opposite leg and obliques.
- Pro tip: The key to this variation is maintaining proper alignment and stability throughout the movement. Ensure your hips remain stacked directly over one another, and avoid letting your body twist or your hips dip. Keeping your core engaged and your torso still will allow you to isolate the muscles you’re targeting, including the obliques, glutes, and outer thighs. To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold the leg lift at the top for a second or two before lowering it back down, increasing time under tension for both your core and lower body muscles.
4. Side Plank Reach-Through
The side plank reach-through is an advanced variation that adds a dynamic rotational element to the traditional side plank. This makes it an exceptional exercise for targeting not only the obliques but also the deep stabilizing muscles of the core, including the transverse abdominis and the multifidus, which are critical for spinal support and overall core stability. The twisting motion in this exercise challenges your balance and coordination, engaging your entire core as you rotate your torso. This rotational movement closely mimics functional movements used in sports and daily activities, making it highly effective for improving athletic performance and reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, this exercise helps to increase mobility in the thoracic spine, further enhancing flexibility and range of motion.
- How to do it: Begin in a traditional side plank position with your legs extended, your body in a straight line from head to heels, and your supporting elbow directly beneath your shoulder. Once stable, extend your top arm straight up toward the ceiling, creating a T-shape with your arms. From this position, rotate your torso by bringing your top arm down and reaching it underneath your body as far as you can, threading it through the space between your torso and the floor. As you rotate, keep your hips lifted and avoid letting them sag. After completing the reach-through, reverse the motion and return to the starting position with your top arm extended upward. Perform this movement for 8-10 controlled reps, then switch sides to repeat on the opposite side.
- Pro tip: The key to maximizing the effectiveness of this exercise is slow, controlled movement. Avoid rushing through the rotation, as this can compromise your form and reduce the engagement of your obliques and core muscles. Focus on engaging your core throughout the entire range of motion and keeping your hips stable. A slower, deliberate pace will allow you to feel the obliques working, especially during the twisting phase of the exercise. For an added challenge, you can hold the reach-through position for a brief moment before returning to the starting position, further increasing time under tension for the core.
5. Forearm Side Plank with Knee Tuck
The forearm side plank with knee tuck is a highly effective variation that introduces dynamic movement to the side plank, adding intensity and complexity. By incorporating the knee tuck, you engage not only the obliques but also your entire core, including the rectus abdominis and deep stabilizing muscles such as the transverse abdominis. The knee tuck movement challenges your stability, forcing your core to work harder to maintain balance while bringing the knee toward your chest. This variation also activates the hip flexors and lower body muscles, making it an excellent full-body exercise that can improve strength, stability, and coordination. Additionally, the forearm position places greater emphasis on your shoulder stability, especially in the supporting arm.
- How to do it: Start by getting into a forearm side plank position, with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and your legs extended in a straight line. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet, and your core should be fully engaged to lift your hips off the ground. Once you’re stable, begin the knee tuck by drawing your top knee in toward your chest while keeping the rest of your body steady. As you bring the knee in, your hips should remain lifted, and your torso should stay aligned without sagging. After bringing the knee in as far as possible, extend it back out to the starting position and repeat the movement for 10-12 controlled reps on each side. Be sure to switch sides and repeat the exercise on the other side to work both obliques evenly.
- Pro tip: To get the most out of this exercise, focus on keeping your hips elevated throughout the movement. Allowing your hips to drop during the knee tuck can reduce the engagement of your obliques and make the movement less effective. Maintain a slow and controlled pace, ensuring that the knee tuck is done with proper form rather than speed. For an added challenge, try holding the knee tucked position for a brief moment before extending the leg back out. This increases the time under tension, further intensifying the exercise and boosting the activation of your obliques and core muscles.
6. Elevated Side Plank
The elevated side plank takes the traditional side plank to the next level by increasing the difficulty and intensity of the exercise. Elevating your feet places greater demand on your core, particularly the obliques, as your body has to work harder to maintain balance and stability. The elevated position shifts more weight onto the supporting arm and shoulder, engaging your upper body muscles more significantly. This variation is particularly effective for those looking to enhance core strength, improve balance, and develop greater body control. Additionally, the elevated side plank challenges the stabilizing muscles in your hips, glutes, and lower back, making it an excellent exercise for improving posture and functional strength.
- How to do it: Start by positioning yourself near an elevated surface such as a bench, step, or sturdy chair. Get into a traditional side plank position, but instead of placing your feet on the ground, rest them on the elevated surface. Make sure your supporting elbow is directly under your shoulder and your body forms a straight line from head to feet. Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, focusing on maintaining proper alignment throughout your body. Hold this position for as long as you can, keeping your hips lifted and your core tight. As you become more comfortable with the exercise, gradually increase the height of the surface for an additional challenge. Once you’ve held the plank on one side, switch sides and repeat.
- Pro tip: When starting out, it’s important to choose a surface that is low enough to allow you to maintain proper form. As you build strength and stability, you can gradually elevate your feet higher, but only if you can do so without compromising your posture. Keeping your hips elevated and aligned is crucial to fully engage the obliques and avoid strain on your lower back. Move slowly when getting into and out of the elevated position to ensure balance, and focus on holding the plank for shorter durations at first, increasing your hold time as your strength improves. To really up the intensity, try doing these with a dip. Weight can be added for the very advanced.
Final Thoughts
Side plank variations are some of the most effective exercises you can incorporate into your routine to target and strengthen your obliques while enhancing overall core stability. These exercises not only focus on your obliques, but also engage your entire core, including deep stabilizing muscles that support posture and spinal health. Whether you’re looking to improve athletic performance, increase core strength, or simply sculpt your midsection, adding these side plank variations to your workouts can help you achieve those goals. Each variation challenges your body in new and dynamic ways, ensuring continuous improvement by targeting different muscle groups and planes of motion.
When performing these side plank variations, it’s crucial to prioritize proper form over speed or intensity. Maintaining alignment and control throughout each movement ensures that you’re effectively targeting the obliques and minimizing the risk of injury, especially in the lower back and shoulders. Rushing through exercises or allowing your hips to sag can lead to poor muscle engagement and potentially cause strain. Always start with the variations that match your current fitness level and gradually progress as your strength and stability improve.
Incorporating these side plank exercises into your regular routine will not only help you build a stronger, more stable core but also enhance your functional fitness, making everyday movements and activities easier and more efficient. Over time, you’ll notice improved balance, better posture, and greater core endurance. Remember, consistency and attention to form are key—commit to working these exercises into your regimen, and you’ll see significant results in your core strength and overall fitness.
