How to Swim Faster: Strengthen Your Core and Obliques with the Side Plank Drill

While the plank in its most simple form is a fine core strengthening exercise, time will come when you'll want to try variations on this fundamentally effective drill.

Variations are espcially helpful for swimmers. For one, after several months of plank exercises, your core muscles will adapt. Your muscle fibers will become accustomed to the drill, and you'll experience diminishing returns.

The variation described here, where you turn the plank on its side so that your chest faces the wall rather than the floor, strengthens the core from different angles than the standard face-down plank.

Boston, Massachusetts-area personal trainer Mike Harb demonstrates. (Note that despite ACL surgery to his right knee (note knee brace), the variations tests Mike's core, not his knees.)

Should you try the variation, you'll find that the hand on the hip position is more challenging than arm-raised position. The former tests your balance more thoroughly. Also note that the variation can be done by using either the forearm or palm for support.

Here are a few elements to remember.

Don't let your hips droop. Otherwise you don't require that your core stabilize your body.

Ceate a straight line between your ankles and armpits by powering your obliques

Stack one foot on top of the other to make the drill more challenging. Splaying your feet allows you to balance more with your feet, less with your core.

If you want to add dynamic range and motion to the plank, sweep your raised hand down, then thread it between your supporting arm and the floor.

The rotation will add coordination and flexibility demands to the move: Once you've threaded your arm and hand, open back up to the start position. Repeat as many times as comfort allows, then switch sides.

And you're a sea kayaker interested in learning how to incorporate these core strength drills into an efficient paddle stroke that uses torso rotation, see the content-rich blog Sea Kayaking Dot Net.