How to do a Side Bridge
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Side Bridge
Instructions for Proper Form
Side Bridge is a variation of the more standard Plank. Like planks, this bodyweight exercise targets your core, but adds more emphasis on your obliques. Isolating each side can help you identify and address any strength discrepancies between sides.
- Lie on your right side with your legs extended allowing your knees and feet to be stacked upon each other.
- Flex your right elbow to 90 degrees positioning it directly underneath your right shoulder and lay your left arm along your side.
- Brace your core by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles to maintain a neutral spine.
- Lift your hips vertically until your sides are in a straight alignment from your heels to your shoulders.
- Repeat with the opposite side.
Common Form Mistakes
Raised or Sagging Hips
Make sure you’re keeping your hips level, and a straight line from your shoulders, through you hips, to your heels. Raising, or allowing your hips to dip will make this exercise less effective. Focus on keeping your core engaged, and maintaining that straight back throughout the exercise.
Alternatives & Variations to Side Bridge
1. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 2,009 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
2. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,615 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
3. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,558 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
4. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,543 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
5. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,332 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
6. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,305 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
7. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,137 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.
8. Flutter Kicks
88 mSCORESWAPPED 1,030 TIMESFlutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.
9. Leg Pull-In
94.9 mSCORESWAPPED 941 TIMESLeg Pull in is a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already engaging your core. Additionally your core helps to pull your legs in towards your chest.
10. Oblique Crunch
86.7 mSCORESWAPPED 854 TIMESOblique Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Similar to Crunches, this is a bodyweight core exercise. By reaching across your torso, you can help isolate your obliques. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to specifically target their obliques.