Core · Bodyweight
45 Degrees Side Bend
How to do the 45 degrees side bend, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and one hand resting behind your head. Bend sideways at the waist toward the opposite hip, lowering as far as is comfortable, then use your obliques to pull your torso back upright. Finish your reps and switch sides.
- 1A stretch down one side as you bend and a squeeze on the other as you
- 2return
- 3Your hips staying square and facing forward
- 4A tall spine with the movement coming purely from your waist
Common mistakes
- Rotating or leaning forward instead of bending straight to the side
- Bending backward at any point
- Swinging through with momentum rather than controlled reps
Muscles worked
The 45 degrees side bend mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
Kovo programs the 45 degrees side bend 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.