Video: Side Plank with Hip Abduction

Adam Hodges | March 5, 2013

This combines the side plank with lying hip abductions. In other words, you perform hip abductions (side leg raises) from the side plank position.

To get into the side plank position:

Lie on side. Stack top foot on top of bottom foot. Push up into a side plank.

Now, squeeze the medial glute (side of hip) to raise leg as high as you can. Lower leg back down in a controlled manner. Repeat.

Perform 1-5 sets of 8-12 reps per leg. Or, perform 1-5 sets of 20-40 second intervals (doing as many reps as possible during those intervals).

» More on functional strength

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges, PhD, is a trail runner, mountain endurance athlete, and coach with credentials from the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA), USA Triathlon (USAT) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In addition to coaching multisport athletes, he has coached high school cross country and track runners in California and masters swimmers in Colorado and California. As a USAT All-American triathlete, he has competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he has won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Series. His current pursuits include trail running, climbing, mountaineering, skimo, and cross-country skiing.