I Did A Side Plank Every Day For 30 Days—Here’s How It Went

After the success of my plank challenge, I wanted to try a different variation. Because I generally struggle with the side plank, what better exercise to choose? It’s simple, effective, and something I want to improve.

If you read my previous challenge, you’ll know that I love the plank and its variations. I performed them in a different challenge previously and saw really good results. This side plank challenge aims to build on that to see how far we can push things!

The core aim of my challenge was to perform the side plank for 1 minute 30 seconds at a high weekly volume. I wanted to see if this would give me any more side plank benefits compared to my normal volume.

In the sections below, I share my weekly experience and the main changes I noticed throughout the challenge. I’ve also shared the form I used and any tips that I feel would be useful. After reading, you’ll want to try the challenge for yourself!

A Breakdown Of My 30-Day Side Planking Routine 

As many of you will know if you’ve been keeping up with my challenges, I previously did the plank challenge. This included the high plank and forearm plank. However, I didn’t perform the side plank using the same volume. 

It’s something I generally struggle with so I wanted to work on it and see how far I could push myself.

Alongside this, I was hoping to further improve my core stability and general balance. My starting training volume will be three sets of one-minute planks on each side. My target volume is to reach three sets of 1-minute and 30-second planks for each side. 

My starting weekly side plank routine is as follows:

• Monday — Three Sets x One Minute Side Planks (Each Side).
• Tuesday — Three Sets x One Minute Side Planks (Each Side).
• Wednesday — Three Sets x One Minute Side Planks (Each Side).
• Thursday — Three Sets x One Minute Side Planks (Each Side).
• Friday — Three Sets x One Minute Side Planks (Each Side).
• Saturday — Rest Day.
• Sunday — Rest Day.

This puts my total weekly volume at 15 sets which is over the minimum suggested volume for hypertrophy. Here’s a breakdown of what happened in each week. Enjoy reading!

Week 1

At the start of week one, I’m eager to get started based on the last challenge. I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy it as much due to less variation but let’s see. 

My goal for this week is to perform five days of side planks using six total daily sets. Once I can do this, I’ll increase the volume. 

The increased side plank volume is definitely a challenge but I’m keeping my form. Maybe this is because I’m already a little used to the movement.

At the end of week one, I feel great. I’ve completed the required volume with no issues. I feel strong but can’t see any differences as of yet. 

One comment is that I really do like how simple and accessible they are. Now that I have the movement down, I can go straight into them and start the hold. 

Week 2 

At the start of week two, I’m excited to increase the volume. I’ll be going up to one minute and 15 seconds for every set. This is something I’ve struggled with in the last challenge so let’s see how I do. Progressive overload, here I come!

I’ve started to feel tired going into the daily sets at the midpoint of the week. However, it’s nothing to cause me to lose form yet. I’m going to dig in and let my new mental stamina pull me through.

At the end of week two, I’m proud of myself for reaching my goal plank times for this week. I’m halfway through the challenge and now I’m going to enjoy your well-deserved active recovery days. During this, I’ll mentally prepare myself for week three. 

Week 3 

It’s the start of week three and it’s time to increase my training volume again. I feel like now is the time that I’ll start seeing a noticeable difference in my daily routine and exercise movements.

The goal of this week is to see how many sets I can perform in one minute and 30 seconds. This is my target goal for the end of the month so let’s start trying to hit it! I’m not sure if I’ll get all of them but maybe I’ll get most of them which is a good start. 

I’m halfway through week three and I’m really starting to notice a difference in my core strength and balance. This is something I didn’t expect to see as I’ve already done a lot of planks before. I guess increasing the volume for different variations really does provide the exercise stimulus I need for increased core strength. 

For this week, I managed to get just over half of the sets to one minute and 30 seconds. I think if I push it for the final week, I’ll get all of them.

Week 4

As I said in week three, I want to get all my sets to one minute and 30 seconds. I’m really enjoying the challenge I’m feeling from doing them. I do find side planks harder than normal planks so I’m glad I’m finally doing more of them.

One thing I’ve noticed that I didn’t expect is that my lower back feels even better than before. I guess the side planks are helping my body better handle the daily rotational movements and keep better stability. 

It really was a challenge but we’ve made it to the end of the week. I managed to get all my sets to one minute and 30 seconds with a few little technique deviations but nothing major. I know that resistance training technique is important for muscular adaptations so I made sure to focus on this.

I’m proud of myself overall and happy that I got to my side plank target! Like the normal plank movement, I enjoy the side plank and will happily use it for more of my normal training. 

Results And Key Changes

Now that I’ve taken you through my weekly thoughts and experiences, let’s look at my results and key changes. These are my top five and are presented in no particular order. 

My Obliques Got A Great Workout 

I don’t really do much targeted oblique work. Apart from my last plank challenge, I tend to stick to the compound bodyweight movements. 

After the challenge finished, I was definitely wrong for thinking this. Of course, compound movements are great. However, the side plank offered me the targeted oblique work that I required.

At the end of week four, the large side plank volume increased the size and strength of my obliques. With the right activation technique, this effect may even be enhanced.

One thing I do know is that they looked noticeably better and felt stronger. This was apparent with my twisting and rotational movements when hiking and traveling around. 

The activity of the core muscles during physical fitness exercises is well-known. Therefore, it makes sense that improving them via dedicated training would help with movement performance.

I Enjoyed How Simple And Accessible They Were  

When resistance training, people tend to think that making exercises complicated or fancy makes them better for you. In most cases, that’s not true at all. 

Performing different exercise variations is great and should be used. However, make sure to perform the basics well and do them often. Add extra fancy movements as needed or if needed.

The side plank is a simple oblique exercise. It requires you to raise your hips and hold the position with your upper body supporting you.

I really enjoyed how simple and accessible it was. I needed no equipment and didn’t need to spend too much time getting into the right position. I could simply press my timer and go. 

Another simple and accessible exercise that I love is crunches. If you want to know some of the differences between both movements, check out our planks vs. crunches article. 

They Gave Me A Good Challenge

One resistance training principle I always try to focus on is progressive overload. With my health and fitness background, I know how important this is for progressing my strength. It also provides me with structure and accountability. 

Like I said, I’ve done planks before but not using this much volume. This increased volume really did challenge me. It provided me with a large progressive overload stimulus that helped improve my core strength.

I Found That My Balance Improved 

Balance is a hugely important physical characteristic that should be prioritized throughout your training. A recent study estimated that approximately 27,000 older adults die from falls every year.

My balance generally isn’t too bad. To be honest, I’ve never really noticed it needed improving or could be improved. Of course, I’ve lost balance sometimes when stepping up or moving quickly but nothing too noticeable.

At the end of the month, I was surprised to find that I felt more confident when moving. My balance definitely improved even though I didn’t think it needed to. When quickly changing direction or climbing up something, my body felt more stable with less unnecessary movement.

I think this would help my sports performance if I played at a high level. Balance improvements have been shown in research looking at the plank. With this, I think it’s a benefit experienced by most. 

They Gave Me Further Lower Back Pain Relief 

As I mentioned when doing my other plank challenge, I suffer from lower back pain. This mainly happens when sitting for long periods or failing to maintain good posture. 

Performing the plank more regularly improved my posture and lower back pain. In the current challenge, increasing my side plank volume further helped this.

Remember, our core is made up of multiple muscle groups. These include the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae. They work together to ensure a stable body position and limit the chances of poor posture or injury. 

I guess then it would make sense that adding different targeted core exercises would further help this. This is something also shown in research when performed alongside flexibility work and leg strengthening exercises.

How To Do A Side Plank 

If you’re unsure how to perform a side plank, here’s how I did mine. I’ve broken the technique down into small steps that should be easy to follow. 

How To Do

1. Set up next to a padded area of a gym mat. This helps to improve exercise comfort. 
2. Lay down on your side with your right arm against the ground. Your elbow should be directly underneath your shoulder with your hand facing in front of you. There should be a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. 
3. Bring your legs out to the side, using your bottom foot to rest on the floor. There should be a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. 
4. Engage your core. Raise your hips off the ground while maintaining a straight leg position. 
5. Keep a straight body position with your head facing forward throughout. 
6. Hold for the predetermined time. 
7. Switch sides and repeat the same steps. 

Tips

• The importance of a warm-up before resistance training should not be overstated. Start with cardio exercise followed by some relevant dynamic stretches.
• Your head should stay facing forward throughout the hold. Avoid letting your chin tuck or bringing your head back excessively. 
• Your feet are one-half of the stable base needed to hold the correct exercise position. Keep them together to ensure balance and targeted muscle focus. 
• Maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern during the hold. This ensures adequate oxygen supply to your brain and working muscles. 
• Bring your knees to the ground if you find the normal side plank difficult. Add a weight to your hip to increase the difficulty. 

Final Thoughts

After performing the side plank for a month, I certainly improved my core stability and general function. I reckon that performing it 3–4 times a week will be the sweet spot along with my other core exercises.

Going forward, I’ll definitely be trying to add the weighted variation. After perfecting the bodyweight version, I think I’m ready to up the intensity. 

If you’re looking for a great oblique builder to add to your core routine, the side plank is a simple but effective exercise that ticks all the boxes. Give it a try and see what you find for yourself! 

Frequently Asked Questions