Side Plank
On one hand and the side of one foot, body in one line, top arm reaching up. The roll from one hand through both to the other is the whole shape.
The lesson
- 01
Start in a plank
Hands under shoulders, one straight line from heels to head. This is the middle you pass through every time.
- 02
Roll onto one hand
Turn onto the outside edge of one foot and stack the other foot on top of it, rolling the chest open as the free hand comes off the floor.
- 03
Reach the top arm straight up
Fingertips to the sky, shoulders stacked one over the other. Eyes forward, or up at the hand once you are steady.
- 04
Lift the bottom hip
The hip wants to sag toward the floor. Press the bottom side of your waist up until the body is one flat line again.
- 05
Roll through the middle to the other side
Free hand back down to the plank, then keep going — onto the other hand, other foot edge, other arm up. Do not stop in the plank; it is a doorway.
- 06
The easier version
Bottom knee down on the floor, shin behind you. Same stacked chest, same reach, far less load on the shoulder.
- 07
The test
You should feel the underneath side of your waist and the bottom shoulder working hard. If your bottom shoulder is jammed up by your ear, push the floor away until there is space.