Thanks to almost two years of physical therapy, I now have an arsenal of exercises to strengthen and stabilize my core and glutes. One exercise that my physical therapist recently taught me is the side plank with a clamshell and it's so good, I had to share it with you.
I use this move to activate my gluteal and core muscles [1], and I was surprised at how challenging it was. You can add this exercise to your warmup or include it in your core workout [2]. Planks are already challenging, and adding the clamshell movement to the plank forces you to stabilize your core muscles. If you're ready to challenge your strength and stability, continue reading.
How to Do a Plank With Clamshell
- Lie on your left side with knees slightly bent and your elbow underneath your shoulder.
- Press into your bottom forearm to lift the hips as high as possible, keeping your abs engaged.
- Raise your top knee to open the thighs like butterfly wings, then slowly lower the knee, completing one rep. The move is similar to the clam [4].
- Complete two sets of 10 reps on each side.