It’s the Plank Challenge again this week and here at Tom’s Guide we never get bored of the Plank Challenge.
As a colleague of mine recently said when he tried the plank with knee tap every day for a week, this exercise can get a little boring, especially when you’re practicing diligently. every day.
At Tom’s Guide we’ve participated in many fitness challenges over the years, including adding the best plank variations to our routine, but another challenge I hadn’t tried yet was the side plank and leg raise.
Also known as a star plank, this involves holding a side plank (you can also use your forearms or straight arms) with one arm and leg extended in the air. If you’re feeling brave (I was), you can add in leg raises, where you repeatedly raise and lower your leg. Here are my results after a week:
How to do Side Planks and Leg Raises
Before attempting more advanced plank exercises, make sure you learn how to do a side plank correctly.
- Lie down with your legs together
- Place your forearms on the mat and align your shoulders over your forearms (if you like, extend your arms and press down with your palms).
- Engage your abdominal muscles and raise your hips and knees off the floor, maintaining a straight line from head to toes.
- Keep your chest forward and your hips up
- Stretch your top arm and leg into the air
- Hold the position or begin to raise and lower your leg while squeezing your glutes.
- Be sure to swap the left and right sides.
This exercise can be done statically or dynamically, but to better engage your glutes, I chose to add leg raises. How you program it is up to you, but if you add movements I recommend 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions per side. If you choose star planks, hold for 15-30 seconds per side and increase the number of repetitions as you get stronger.
But what have we learned by doing this practice every day?
Helps to develop outer glutes
Side planks are primarily known as a core exercise, focusing on your shoulders, arms, and outer thighs while working your core muscles, including the obliques that run down the sides of your torso.
Adding leg and arm lifts not only tests your balance, stability, and coordination, but also helps work your hips, outer glutes, and adductors (the muscles that run along your inner thighs).
Most people find it easier to perform the exercise from a forearm position, but either way, I find that this exercise makes my inner thighs, hips, and buttocks tremble and my shoulders heat up too.
If you don’t already have one, your elbows will thank you for using the best yoga mat for joint support. If a mat doesn’t help, try placing one knee on the floor for extra support and comfort. If you’re just starting out with side planks, this is also a good idea.
This is one of my favorite plank variations.
Any plank that works the lower body — plank tucks and plank jacks are just a few examples — is a nod to me. When working out, efficiency is key, and nothing is more efficient than a full-body workout.
The plank is a compound exercise, which means it works multiple joints and muscles. After a week of doing side planks and leg raises, I noticed benefits in every part of my body, not just my abs and glutes.
I need to think more about my back.
I’m pretty familiar with the plank and its different variations, and have been teaching and doing it for a long time, but with side planks I always think about my back, so I have to focus on how my body is moving while I’m in the side plank position.
I have hypermobile shoulders and I constantly have problems with my shoulders, so I try to use a cue list that I can do whenever I’m putting weight on my shoulders for long periods of time.
For side plank leg raises, start from your shoulders. Stack your shoulders and legs, push your chest forward, and press your hips up, using a full range of motion as you raise and lower your legs. Don’t twist your spine or point your hips toward the ceiling or drop your hips toward the floor.
My Review of Side Planks and Leg Raises
They say if you put in enough time (10,000 hours to be exact) you can become an expert, and while I’m not planning on spending 10,000 hours on this, at least a week’s worth of practice has tightened my form, improved my awareness of muscle movement, and given me an intense full-body workout.
Of course, I wouldn’t incorporate these exercises into my daily routine, nor would I recommend anyone else do the same, but I do recommend trying them if you want to improve your exercise routine while keeping enough variety in your routine to keep you safe and stimulated.
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