Pilates Side Plank: How to Do It and Muscles Worked
The Pilates Side Plank, sometimes called star pilates, is an intermediate contemporary mat exercise. It challenges your ability to maintain side support with a long line from your head down to your heels.
This movement focuses heavily on your obliques, quadratus lumborum, and gluteus medius to keep your pelvis lifted. At the same time, your shoulder stabilizers work hard to support your upper body weight against gravity.
Exercise data
- Type
- Contemporary mat
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Mat
- Main muscles
- obliques, quadratus lumborum, gluteus medius
- Also working
- shoulder stabilizers
- Spine
- side bending
- Focus
- Side support with a long line from head to heels
- Also searched as
- side plank pilates, star pilates
How to do the Pilates Side Plank
Sit sideways on your mat with your legs slightly bent and stacked, placing your bottom hand flat on the floor in line with your hip.
- Press firmly into your bottom hand and feet.
- Lift your hips off the mat to create a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Reach your top arm up toward the ceiling.
- Hold the position while keeping your neck long and your chest open.
- Lower your hips back down to the mat with control.
- Repeat the movement on the same side before switching to the other side.
- Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but a common pattern is to inhale as you lift your hips and exhale as you hold the side bending position. You might also be taught to breathe continuously and deeply while holding the posture.
- Where you feel it. You should feel strong work in the side of your torso facing the floor, your bottom shoulder, and your outer hip. You should not feel sharp pain in your wrist or a pinching sensation in your lower back.
- How many. 3 to 5 holds of 10 to 15 seconds per side
Common mistakes
- Sinking into the shoulder. Push the floor away actively with your bottom hand to engage your shoulder stabilizers.
- Dropping the hips. Squeeze your gluteus medius and engage your obliques to keep your pelvis lifted in a straight line.
- Looking down at the floor. Keep your gaze straight ahead to maintain proper alignment in your neck.
- Rolling the top hip backward. Stack your hips directly on top of each other so your torso faces forward.
- Locking the supporting elbow. Keep a tiny, almost invisible bend in your bottom arm to avoid resting entirely on the joint.
Make it easier or harder
Easier
- Perform the exercise resting on your bottom forearm instead of your hand to reduce wrist strain.
- Keep your bottom knee bent and resting on the mat for extra support.
Harder
- Lift your top leg up toward the ceiling while holding the plank to challenge your gluteus medius further.
- Add a small rotation by threading your top arm under your torso and back up.
Who should be careful
- Side bending under load may need to be limited with osteoporosis or a recent back injury.
- Weight-bearing through the hands can aggravate wrist, hand or shoulder pain. Fists, forearms or a raised surface can reduce the load.
Related exercises
- Kneeling Side Kicks Intermediate to advanced
- Side Bend Intermediate to advanced
- Criss-Cross Intermediate
- Bent Knee Fall Out Beginner
- Clam Beginner
When to see a doctor or physical therapist
- Sharp or shooting pain in your supporting wrist or shoulder.
- Numbness or tingling traveling down your arm.
- A pinching sensation in your lower back.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your own clinician before trying new exercises.
How we put this page together. Exercise data (type, level, equipment and muscles) was compiled by our editors from the classical mat order in Joseph Pilates’ 1945 book and from commonly taught mat repertoire. Muscle lists are a general anatomy guide; cueing differs between teachers. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Editorial Team. See our editorial policy. Last checked October 2026.