Core · Bodyweight
Diagonal in Out on Chair
How to do the diagonal in out on chair, 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
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall on the edge of a chair, leaning back slightly with feet off the floor. Draw both knees in toward one shoulder on a diagonal, then extend your legs out long, alternating the diagonal each rep to work the sides of your core.
- 1Your obliques and lower abs driving the diagonal tuck
- 2A braced core controlling the legs in and out
- 3The twist coming from your midsection, not your arms
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back or slumping as you extend the legs
- Using momentum to swing the knees in
- Dropping your feet to the floor between reps
Muscles worked
The diagonal in out on chair mainly works the obliques, lower abs, and hip flexors, with the upper abs and quads assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the diagonal in out on chair 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.