Weighted Side Plank — long hold
Lateral trunk endurance under load — the side that gives way in a fast bowler's side strain and in every one-armed carry
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Lie on one side with the elbow directly under the shoulder and the legs straight, feet stacked or staggered. Place a plate on the top hip once you can hold the bodyweight version.
The rep
Lift the hips until the body is a straight line from head to feet. Hold still, stacking shoulders and hips, and breathe steadily for the full time. Lower under control, then repeat on the other side.
On the exercise card
- Stack the shoulders and hips
- Hips high and still
- Breathe — do not hold your breath to hold the shape
- Tempo
- set, then hold
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| The hips sag | Lift them back into line, or shorten the hold. A sagging side plank trains nothing. |
| Rolling forward or back | Stack the top hip directly over the bottom hip and the top shoulder over the bottom shoulder. |
| Holding the breath | Brace the trunk, then breathe in short breaths behind the brace. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Knees bent with the bottom knee on the floor, or no plate.
- Harder
- A heavier plate, the top leg lifted, or a longer hold.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
Side-strain injuries are common in fast bowlers, and lateral trunk strength is what resists the sideways pull in tackles and carries. It sits in cricket, both rugby codes and netball for that reason.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby League | Power & Collision | 2 × 30s/side | Plate on the top hip |
| Rugby Union | Power & Contact | 2 × 30s/side | Plate on the top hip |
| Cricket | Endurance Day | 2 × 30s/side | Plate on the top hip |
| Netball | Full Body Power | 2 × 30s/side | Plate on the top hip |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Abs / Core
- Region
- Trunk
- Classified as
- Mobility
- Prescribed in
- rugby league · rugby union · cricket · netball · general fitness
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Long-Lever Plank | Hands further forward — overload anti-extension |
| Plank Drops (rotating side to side) | Plank with hip drops to each side — anti-rotation under fatigue |
| Banded Dead Bug | Dead bug with band tension overhead — loaded anti-extension |
| Split-Stance Pallof Press | Split-stance cable Pallof — anti-rotation in a sport posture |
| Hanging Leg Raise | Lower-ab + grip strength |
| Toes-to-Bar | Dynamic hanging leg raise — gymnast/calisthenics core |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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