How many reps of the side plank reach-through should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 slow reaches per side, keeping the hips lifted the whole time. Add reps only once the hips stop sinking during the reach; if they still drop, hold a plain side plank longer before adding this movement back in.

How do I make the side plank reach-through easier or harder?

To make it easier, drop to your knees for the base of the side plank so there's less body weight to stabilize. To make it harder, lift the top leg slightly off the bottom one during the hold, or hold a light weight in the reaching hand to add resistance to the rotation.

What is the side plank reach-through good for, and when should it be skipped?

It combines side-plank stability with controlled rotation, training the obliques to both hold a position and produce movement in the same rep, which suits general core conditioning and rotational sports alike. Skip it if a plain side plank still makes your hips drop or shake, since adding the reach on top of a shaky base only reinforces the sag.

Intermediate

Side Plank Reach-Through

From a side plank you reach the top arm under and through your torso, then open back up, adding controlled rotation to the lateral hold. The obliques both stabilize the plank and drive the twist, so you train two of their jobs in one rep. It is an excellent bodyweight option for building a robust, mobile trunk.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Abdominal External Oblique
Browse by movement: Core Brace, Rotation

How to do it

1
Set up in a forearm side plank with hips high and body in a straight line.
2
Reach your top arm toward the ceiling to start.
3
Rotate your torso and thread that arm down and under your body toward the floor.
4
Follow the reach with your gaze while keeping your hips from dropping.
5
Reverse the motion, opening the chest back up to the tall position.
6
Complete your reps, then switch to the other side.

Tips

Keep the hips lifted throughout; do not let the reach pull your pelvis to the floor.
Rotate through the mid-back and ribs, not just by swinging the arm.
Move at a steady tempo so the obliques control both the reach and the return.

Variations

Common mistakes

The supporting elbow creeps forward ahead of the shoulder as the reach happens, collapsing the base the whole rotation depends on.
The top knee bends and drifts forward during the reach, breaking the straight body line that makes the hold count as a plank at all.
The hips sag toward the floor from the very start, so the plank begins in a poor position before the reach even starts.
The head stays fixed forward instead of following the reaching hand, leaving the neck twisted against the direction the torso is turning.
Rushing straight to the next side without a brief reset lets fatigue-driven form breakdown carry over between sides.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the side plank reach-through should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 slow reaches per side, keeping the hips lifted the whole time. Add reps only once the hips stop sinking during the reach; if they still drop, hold a plain side plank longer before adding this movement back in.
How do I make the side plank reach-through easier or harder?: To make it easier, drop to your knees for the base of the side plank so there's less body weight to stabilize. To make it harder, lift the top leg slightly off the bottom one during the hold, or hold a light weight in the reaching hand to add resistance to the rotation.
What is the side plank reach-through good for, and when should it be skipped?: It combines side-plank stability with controlled rotation, training the obliques to both hold a position and produce movement in the same rep, which suits general core conditioning and rotational sports alike. Skip it if a plain side plank still makes your hips drop or shake, since adding the reach on top of a shaky base only reinforces the sag.

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