Core · Level 1
Side plank
Resting on one forearm and the edge of the foot, body straight sideways.
- Suggested dose
- 2 × 25 s per side · 20s rest
- Equipment
- No equipment · or · Mat
- Works
- Obliques, Abductors, Abs
- Pattern
- Lateral core
How to do it
- On your side, elbow under shoulder, legs straight and stacked.
- Lift your hips until head, hips and feet line up.
- Hold and switch sides. Easier variation: knees bent.
Key points
- Hips high and forward
- Neutral neck
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips
- Rotating the torso toward the floor
Why it helps your tennis
Obliques and glute medius stabilize open-stance strokes and lateral changes.
Source: Complete Conditioning for Tennis, ch. 4 (side plank test) and ch. 7