Core · Bodyweight
Side Plank Raise and Crunch
How to do the side plank raise and crunch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Set up in a side plank on one forearm with your body in a straight line and your hips lifted. From there, lower and raise your hips through a small range for a side-plank raise, then bring your top elbow and top knee toward each other for an oblique crunch. Keep your torso facing forward and your core braced throughout.
- 1The down-side obliques driving the hip raise
- 2A hard oblique squeeze as the elbow and knee meet
- 3Your bottom shoulder stable with the elbow stacked under it
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor between reps
- Rotating the torso forward or backward out of the plank
- Collapsing into the bottom shoulder instead of pushing away
Muscles worked
The side plank raise and crunch mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower abs, glutes, side delts, and hip flexors assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the side plank raise and crunch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.