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You are here: Home / Articles / The Dynamic Side Plank (This Ain’t Just Lying Around!)

The Dynamic Side Plank (This Ain’t Just Lying Around!)

August 10, 2011 by Mike Fitch 10 Comments

Global Bodyweight Training - Mike Fitch

Dynamic Side Plank

The Dynamic Side Plank is a simple movement that packs a whole lot of punch. You’ll love what it does for your obliques and overall trunk- and it’s a great lead-in for learning to do the human flag! Many of you are probably used to doing a side plank static if you practice yoga – I encourage you to give this dynamic version a shot, too, as it has different benefits and will challenge you in a new way.

In one of our previous posts, The Other Side of Abdominal Training, we explained the different muscles and movements of the trunk. In particular, we talked about the obliques’ huge role in trunk rotation, as well as in lateral flexion or side bending. Many times you’ll see someone in the gym duplicating the oblique side-bend movement by holding onto a dumbbell or plate with one arm and bending from side to side like a windshield wiper. While that isn’t necessarily a bad exercise, we can do it another way that uses just our own bodyweight while integrating more of the body. This makes the movement much more effective.

abdominal anterior muscles

Abdominal Muscles: The Obliques

The Dynamic Side Plank works not only with the obliques, but also with something called the frontal plane stabilization system which includes the Adductors (inner thighs), Abductors (outer hip like the Glute Medius), and low back muscles like the Quadratus Lumborum and Erector Spinae. This exercise also challenges the rotator cuff and the larger muscle of the shoulder joint, the Deltoid.


Check out the video below to see how it comes together. Give it a shot and you’ll see just what I mean by packs a whole lot of punch!



For some additional great trunk exercises, check out some of my other videos here:

  • THE OTHER SIDE OF ABDOMINAL TRAINING
  • SWISS BALL PUSH-UP WITH SINGLE-LEG JACKNIFE

 

Filed Under: Articles, Exercise Tutorial, Features, Instructional Tagged With: abdominal, core, oblique, plank, trunk

Comments

  1. nunh says

    August 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    Love it – different from the way I was performing these. I was keeping my heels inline. Thx!

    Reply
  2. nunh says

    August 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Btw – what kind of shoes are you wearing – just nosy and always on the lookout for new fitness goodies.

    Reply
    • Mike Fitch says

      August 15, 2011 at 1:13 pm

      Hey Nunh, those are Reebok classics. Love those shoes

      Reply
  3. Tim says

    August 13, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    These are particularly brutal if you press a kettlebell in your free hand while planking.

    Reply
  4. Rob White says

    July 10, 2012 at 7:32 am

    Hey Mike,

    have you tried a side plank pushup yet? You basically get into a side plank position, and you do a 1-arm pushup, side-ways using you supporting arm. I’ve seen very few people do it. Heres one guy doing them http://recordsetter.com/world-record/side-plank-press-ups/12637

    Reply
    • Mike Fitch says

      July 14, 2012 at 2:07 am

      Hey Rob, funny you should ask. I was thinking about doing a tutorial on the side plank push up in the near future. thanks for the suggestion and stay in touch!

      Reply
  5. james kerrison says

    October 13, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    Hey Mike,

    Love the website, great content.

    Thanks

    James

    Reply
    • Mike Fitch says

      November 15, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      Awesome James, thanks for the kind words

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Building Muscle » Dynamic Side Plank | says:
    October 29, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    […] via Dynamic Side Plank |. […]

    Reply
  2. Alternative abdmoninal exercise for stronger trunk | says:
    November 24, 2011 at 12:04 am

    […] THE DYNAMIC SIDE PLANK: THIS AIN’T JUST LYING AROUND! […]

    Reply

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