Exercises / Abdomen
Side bridge (side plank)
- Endurance
- Abdomen
- Mat
Lateral trunk endurance exercise that also strongly recruits gluteus medius.
Also called side plank, side-bridge.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
- Quadratus lumborum
- External oblique
- Internal oblique
- Gluteus medius
- Transversus abdominis
- Serratus anterior
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Endurance: repeated 10-second holds; progress hold time and lever length.
Start: Side-lying on the forearm
Steps
- Lie on the side with the elbow under the shoulder and knees bent (regression) or legs straight.
- Lift the hips so the body forms a straight line.
- Hold, breathing normally, then lower.
Cues
- Hips forward, not piked
- Push the floor away through the forearm
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging or rotating backward
- Shoulder shrugged toward the ear
Used for
- Low back pain
- Lateral trunk endurance deficits
- Hip abductor weakness
Evidence (2)
Easier
Harder
References (4)
- McGill SM. Phys Ther. 1998;78(7):754-765. Low back exercises: evidence for improving exercise regimens
- Ekstrom RA, Donatelli RA, Carp KC. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2007;37(12):754-762. Electromyographic analysis of core trunk, hip, and thigh muscles during 9 rehabilitation exercises
- Okubo Y, Kaneoka K, Imai A, et al. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010;40(11):743-750. Electromyographic analysis of transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus using wire electrodes during lumbar stabilization exercises
- Neumann DA. Elsevier. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. 3rd ed.