How to do a Side Plank Clam Lifts
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Side Plank Clam Lifts
Workouts with Side Plank Clam Lifts
Instructions for Proper Form
Side Plank Clam Lifts combine a side plank with a clamshell exercise. This compound movement primarily targets the core, glutes, and hip abductors. By lifting your top leg while in a side plank position, you add instability, enhancing core engagement and isolating the glutes. This is an excellent exercise for building stability, strength, and balance.
- Lie on your side with your knees bent so that your feet are behind you.
- Position your thighs in line with your torso.
- Brace your upper body the forearm that’s closest to the ground and rest your opposite hand on the hip that’s farther from the ground.
- Engage your core to raise your hips—your shoulders, hips, and knees should be in a straight line.
- From this position, raise your top knee by engaging your abductors and glutes.
- Hold this position for a moment.
- Slowly reverse the movement.
- Repeat for the allotted reps, then switch sides and repeat.
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Alternative Exercises to Side Plank Clam Lifts
1. Clam
43.8 mSCORESWAPPED 32 TIMESThis bodyweight isolation exercise primarily targets your hip abductors. By targeting each side individually you can more easily identify and address imbalances between sides. This an effective exercise for improving lower body strength and stability.
- Beginner
- Abductors
2. Mini Loop Band Side-Lying Clam
43 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMESA variation of the clam exercise using a mini loop resistance band. Using a mini loop band allows you to increase resistance beyond just your bodyweight. This is a great exercise for improving hip stability.
- Beginner
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- Mini Loop Bands
3. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 14 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.
- Beginner
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4. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 10 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.
- Beginner
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5. Hanging Knee Raise
73.4 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESHanging Knee Raise is a variation of Vertical Knee Raise. Like Vertical Knee Raise, this is a bodyweight core exercise that involves suspending yourself and raising your knees to your chest. By hanging from a pull up bar, you add more instability to the movement, which causes you to further recruit your core for stability.
- Beginner
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6. Side Plank Lift
51.1 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESSide Plank Lift is a compound exercise that targets the obliques and shoulders. By lifting your hips off the ground from a side plank position, you add a dynamic element to the traditional side plank, increasing core activation and overall stability. This variation is excellent for improving core strength and balance, providing a challenging upgrade from the standard side plank.
- Intermediate
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7. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 9 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.
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8. Side Plank Leg Lift
40.4 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMESSide Plank Leg Lift is an advanced variation of the Side Plank. This compound exercise primarily targets your obliques and glutes. By raising your top leg while maintaining the plank position, you add instability to the movement, promoting greater core activation and stability. This variation is excellent for developing core strength, balance, and enhancing hip abductor strength.
- Advanced
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9. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 8 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.
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10. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 8 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.
- Beginner
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