Elbow Side Plank

How to do it

1. Lie on your side with your forearm flat on the floor and your elbow stacked directly under your shoulder.
2. Stack your feet on top of each other and engage your core to create tension through your whole body.
3. Lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Brace your top hand on your hip or extend it straight up toward the ceiling for balance.
5. Hold the position with steady breathing, keeping your hips lifted and your shoulders square.
6. Lower your hips back down with control after the target time, then switch sides and repeat.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag toward the floor mid-hold, which removes the obliques from the work and loads the shoulder.
• Rotating the chest toward the floor instead of keeping the torso stacked and squared up.
• Placing the supporting elbow ahead of or behind the shoulder, which strains the shoulder joint.
• Holding your breath through the set instead of breathing steadily, which cuts hold time short.