Side Plank with Hip Raise

Quick Intro

The side plank with hip raise is a core exercise performed by holding a side plank position, lowering the hips just short of the floor and driving them back up to full height in a controlled, repeated pulse.

Equipment Needed

Nothing beyond floor space is needed.

Why the Side Plank with Hip Raise Matters

The side plank with hip raise asks the obliques and deep core stabilizer (transverse abdominis) to actively lift the hips with every rep rather than just hold them in place, while the side glute (gluteus medius) and glutes (gluteus maximus) drive the raise and the side of the shoulder (lateral deltoid) supports the body’s weight through the forearm. Lowering and lifting the hips in a controlled dip is what adds a strength component on top of the static side plank’s endurance demand.

That repeated dip is the real difference from the standard hold, not just a variation for variety’s sake. A standard side plank asks the obliques to hold one fixed position for time, which is primarily an endurance test. Adding a controlled lower-and-lift turns the same muscles into ones producing repeated force through a small range, which trains strength in a way a still hold can’t.

The side plank with hip raise asks for muscular strength, endurance and balance in equal measure, since controlling the dip on a narrow base of contact takes active control from the obliques and glutes.

When to Do It

The side plank with hip raise fits well toward the end of a core-focused session, once a standard side plank is already comfortable and well controlled. Two to three sessions a week gives the obliques and hips enough recovery time between sessions.

Existing shoulder discomfort in the supporting arm. The repeated dip adds more total time under load through the supporting forearm and shoulder than a single static hold. Building a strong foundation with the standard Side Plank first is the safer approach until that arm can reliably support repeated reps.

For most people who already handle a solid side plank, this is a rewarding way to build hip and core strength on top of it.

Getting Ready

A minute of hip circles and a standard side plank hold on each side warm up the obliques and hips before asking them to produce repeated, controlled force.

Lower the hips just short of touching the floor and drive back up to full side plank height under control. Letting momentum carry the lift turns the exercise into a bounce.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Starting position. Set up in a standard side plank, forearm on the floor and hips lifted to full height, feet stacked.

2. The lower. Lower your hips toward the floor under control, stopping just short of touching down.

3. The lift. Drive back up to full side plank height, squeezing the obliques and glutes to complete the rep.

Complete the full set on one side, then switch, treating each side as its own separate training effort.

How Many, How Often

Level	Where you’re at	What to do
Beginner	New to the pulsing dip	3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side, keeping the range of motion small while learning the control. Resting 1 minute between sets.
Intermediate	12 reps per side come easily	3 to 4 sets of 12 reps per side, lowering the hips closer to the floor with each rep.
Advanced	15 or more reps per side come easily	Add a slow 2 second pause just above the floor on every rep, since rep count alone stops adding much new demand at this point.

Letting momentum carry the hips back up is the easiest way to make the rep feel more manageable while quietly taking work away from the obliques and glutes that are supposed to be producing the lift, so a controlled tempo matters more here than how many reps get completed.

Modifications and Variations

The side plank with hip raise has one clear easier step.

For an easier entry point, the Side Plank holds one fixed height without the repeated dip, removing the strength component this version adds on top of the static endurance hold.

Progression path: Side Plank → Side Plank with Hip Raise

Lowering the hips closer to the floor on each rep, or adding a brief pause near the bottom, are reasonable ways to add difficulty within this exercise before chasing higher rep counts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using momentum instead of control to drive the lift. A bounced rep takes the obliques out of the work they’re meant to be doing, turning a strength exercise into a swing. Lower and lift under control on every rep.

Letting the top hip roll forward during the dip. A rotating hip line quietly removes the oblique tension this exercise depends on. Keeping the shoulders and hips stacked throughout the full range of the pulse preserves the intended effect.

Rushing through reps with a shallow range of motion. Barely lowering the hips before driving back up shortcuts the range the obliques actually need to work through. Lowering close to the floor, as control allows, keeps each rep meaningful.

Uneven training between sides. It’s common to push harder on the stronger side without noticing, which widens an imbalance over time. Matching rep count and range of motion on both sides keeps both obliques developing evenly.

After Your Set

The repeated lifting motion asks more of the obliques and hips across a set than a single static hold does, and the muscles feel it afterward. Lying on the back and drawing one knee across the body toward the floor opens up the outer hip and glute that drove every lift. Rolling the supporting shoulder through a few slow backward circles afterward loosens the joint that carried the body’s weight through every rep.

Going Deeper

The side plank with hip raise sits alongside the star side plank as one of the standard side plank’s two harder branches, usually trained by anyone who already holds a strong static side plank and wants a strength challenge on top of it, distinct from the star side plank’s balance-focused static hold. It pairs naturally with a rotational core exercise like the Russian Twist in the same session, balancing a repeated, controlled lift with active rotation.

The lift tends to start relying on a small bounce off the bottom of the range as the set fatigues, letting the reps keep coming while the obliques stop producing as much of the actual force. Slowing the tempo the moment a bounce creeps in, and treating a smaller controlled range as better than a larger bounced one, keeps the exercise doing its job.

Someone with a strong standard side plank already can expect eight controlled reps per side within the first two to three weeks, and twelve reps per side with a full range of motion somewhere in the five to seven week range.

How to Know You’re Improving

Eight controlled reps per side with a small range of motion
Twelve reps per side completed with the hips lowering close to the floor
Fifteen reps per side in a row with no momentum or bounce
A controlled 2 second pause held near the bottom of every rep

A rep counts as clean when the hips never roll forward, the tempo stays controlled through the full range and the lift comes from the obliques and glutes rather than a bounce. Raw rep count means little on its own; a controlled, full range through every single one of those reps is the real measure.

Muscles Worked

Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, lifting and lowering the hips through each repetition)
Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, keeping the trunk rigid as the hips travel)
Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, driving the hip upward on every raise)
Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, assisting the lift and holding the hips forward)
Lateral Deltoid (the side of the shoulder cap, supporting the body as the hips rise and fall)

FAQ

How is this different from a regular side plank? A standard side plank holds one fixed height for time, mostly an endurance test, while this version repeatedly lowers and lifts the hips, adding a strength component on top of that endurance demand.

Why does my hip lift turn into a bounce partway through a set? This usually means fatigue has crept in and momentum has started replacing control. Slowing the tempo and shortening the range restores a controlled rep.

How far should I lower my hips on each rep? Just short of touching the floor once that range feels controlled. A smaller, fully controlled range beats a larger one that relies on a bounce.

What should my standard side plank look like before I add the pulsing dip? A comfortable hold of the static version is the realistic foundation this exercise is built on, since the repeated lift asks for meaningfully more strength on top of that base.

Next in this series: the Russian Twist, a rotational core exercise that pairs an active, moving contrast with this hold’s controlled, repeated lift.