Side planks are generally not at the top of people's list of favorite exercises. But if you've already put in the time, effort, and willpower to add them to your training, you'll want to make sure you're doing them correctly.
Unfortunately, there are some fairly common mistakes that can make exercise less effective and a waste of time as a consequence. So if you're attempting a plank challenge or incorporating a side plank into your workout routine, do the right move and avoid these five mistakes.
The most common mistakes when doing abdominal side plank
You allow your hips to sag
As with a standard plank, you should avoid sinking your hips toward the ground while holding a side plank. The main benefit of doing planks is strengthening your core , but you are losing all the potential of the movement when you do not keep your hips elevated.
And specifically with a side plank, you want to target your obliques. When you focus on those muscles on the sides of your torso and think about actively lifting your hips, you make the movement that much more effective.
Consider keeping your lower hips off the ground . Sometimes using a foam roller or yoga block under your lower hip can give an external signal for you to aim to keep your lower leg at least as high so that it is elevated off the block.
You don't keep your head and neck aligned
As you begin to fatigue while holding a side plank, you can begin to tilt your head forward, drop it toward the ground, or turn it to face the ceiling.
Unfortunately, these small deviations from the shape can cause big problems. Letting your head and neck slip out of alignment with the rest of your body can cause neck strain or irritation of the surrounding muscles, including the trapezius . Over time, this can cause pain in the area, or even lead to injury.
While holding your side plank, think of your spine as a long rope from the tailbone to the base of the skull. The goal is to keep this rope tight, which will involve lifting the head and neck or even tucking in the chin to restore proper alignment.
Putting too much pressure on your bottom foot
If you are doing your side plank correctly, your feet should be stacked, on the outside of your bottom foot. Although a good chunk of your weight will be balanced on the outer edge of the bottom of your foot, you don't want to add too much pressure, as that can cause foot and ankle pain.
But what exactly is too much pressure? If you feel like your outside foot is digging into the ground or is struggling to keep your lower leg up, you're probably putting too much weight on the outside foot.
Wear sneakers when performing on the side plank. Consider pushing the sole of the bottom of your foot toward the ground so that the corner of your shoe is planted on the ground, rather than your foot.
Arch your lower back
As we said earlier, you want your body to be in a straight line. But as you start to get tired or shaky, it's common to begin arching your lower back. But this can strain your back muscles and ultimately cause pain.
Also, rounding out the back takes away the core-strengthening potential of the exercise as it moves the work from the abs to the lower back .
Keep your rib cage stacked over your pelvis. Think of pulling your belly button towards your spine. Keeping these ideas in your head will keep this alignment.
You place your elbow too far from your body
Another common mistake that is incorrect placement of the elbow. People often place the elbow too far from the body in an effort to achieve better balance in posture. Or, if you are doing a high side plank, you may be placing your lower hand too far.
This puts unnecessary stress on the elbow and shoulder (or hand and wrist). As a result, you rely on your arm to balance and support your body, rather than your obliques.
Before lifting your side plank, take the time to make sure you place your hand or elbow directly under your shoulder . Consider pushing off the ground to utilize some of the largest and strongest muscles in your shoulder. Also, try to alternate between a side plank on your elbows and hand to avoid too much stress on any joint.
