Core · Bodyweight
Cocoons
How to do the cocoons, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight. In one motion, curl your knees toward your chest while crunching your upper body up and swinging your arms forward, rolling into a tight tucked ball. Reverse under control back to full extension.
- 1Feel your entire abdominal wall crunch you into a ball
- 2Pull your knees and chest together at the same time
- 3Control the return so your abs stay loaded the whole way
Common mistakes
- Do not use momentum to fling your arms and legs
- Avoid arching your lower back as you extend out
- Do not strain your neck; lead with your core
Muscles worked
The cocoons mainly works the lower abs and upper abs, with the obliques and hip flexors assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the cocoons 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.