Core · Bodyweight
Boat Stretch
How to do the boat stretch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on the floor and lean back slightly, lifting your straight or bent legs off the ground so your body forms a V balanced on your sit bones. Reach your arms forward alongside your shins and hold the position.
- 1Feel your deep abs working to hold your torso and legs up in the V
- 2Keep your chest lifted and spine long rather than slumping back
- 3Breathe steadily and hold a stable balance point
Common mistakes
- Don't round your back and collapse your chest
- Avoid holding your breath to brace; keep breathing
- Don't let your legs drift down as you fatigue
Muscles worked
The boat stretch mainly works the lower abs, upper abs, and hip flexors, with the obliques and quads assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the boat stretch 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.