Lateral Trunk Stability

Side Plank

A practical movement guide for every Mission SOP that uses this exercise. Sets, reps, load, tempo, and purpose remain specific to each mission and phase.

Movement guide available

Anatomy map

Muscles involved

  • Primary musclesOrange · None
  • Secondary musclesGraphite gray · None

Anatomy pending review

The movement remains available for planning and tracking while its ShaOS anatomy illustration is reviewed.

PrimarySide abs
SecondarySide glutesShouldersCore

No anatomy image is published until the ShaOS model has been reviewed.

Description

A lateral trunk hold that develops oblique, shoulder, and hip stability while resisting sideways collapse.

Setup & Execution

  1. Lie on one side with the elbow beneath the shoulder and choose bent knees or stacked straight legs for support.
  2. Press the forearm into the floor and lift the hips until the head, ribs, pelvis, and feet or knees align.
  3. Keep the top hip stacked over the bottom hip and breathe without losing height.
  4. Lower under control when alignment changes, then repeat on the other side.

Coaching Cues

  • Push the floor away.
  • Keep your belt buckle facing forward.
  • Make a long line through the body.

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the shoulder collapse toward the ear.
  • Rolling the top hip backward.
  • Holding longer after the hips begin to drop.

Movement media

See the movement

Demonstration planned

No reviewed footage published yet

The written setup, cues, and alternatives remain the current technique reference while the tutorial is produced.

30–60 second tutorialplanned
Setup angleplanned
Side angleplanned
Key cue overlayplanned
Captionsplanned
Transcriptplanned

Accessible movement summary

Lie on one side with the elbow beneath the shoulder and choose bent knees or stacked straight legs for support. Press the forearm into the floor and lift the hips until the head, ribs, pelvis, and feet or knees align. Keep the top hip stacked over the bottom hip and breathe without losing height. Lower under control when alignment changes, then repeat on the other side.

Key cue: Push the floor away.

The production indicators above are roadmap states, not claims that multi-angle footage, overlays, captions, or a narrated transcript are already available.

Adapt the movement

Regressions & alternatives

Preserve the movement pattern while matching current capacity, available equipment, and the mission environment.

Regression

Bent-knee side plank

Progression

Straight-leg side plank with a longer controlled hold

Home gym

Side plank with the forearm elevated on a stable couch edge

Commercial gym

Side plank with the forearm elevated on a stable bench

Used in

Linked Mission SOPs