How To: Strengthen your obliques with side pillar hip lifts

Learn how to do side pillar hip lifts. Presented by Real Jock Gay Fitness Health & Life.

Benefits
You need stability in your hips and oblique muscles (the muscles that run down the sides of your torso) for body balance and core strength in sports and everyday life. But many people neglect the obliques and hips in their quest for strong center abdominals. Side pillar hip lifts address that by working on the endurance strength of both your right and left sides individually.

Starting Position
Lie on your side and support yourself on one elbow. One foot should be one on top of the other, and your lower hip should be on the floor. Your lower arm's elbow should be directly under your armpit. The forearm of your lower/supporting arm should point directly forward. Bend your upper arm's elbow and place that hand on your hip.

Exercise
1. From the starting position, use your obliques and hips on your lower side to lift up to a flat position. Your body should be in a straight diagonal line from head to feet. Be careful not to tip your shoulders or hips forward or back as you lift.
2. From the top of your lift, lower slowly down to your starting position, but do not let your hip touch the floor between lifts.
3. After you have finished 20 lifts on one side, switch to the other side and perform 20 more.

Leg Variation
For a more difficult version of this exercise, add a leg lift at the top. Perform the lift as described above, but at the top of your elevation, lift your top leg directly upward. Bring the legs back together before lowering again to the floor.