Core · Bodyweight
Double Twist Knee-up
How to do the double twist knee-up, 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
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall with your hands up near your head. Drive one knee up explosively while twisting your torso so the opposite elbow rotates toward it, then quickly switch sides with a small hop. Keep a fast, rhythmic pace and rotate hard through your midsection each rep.
- 1Your obliques firing on each twist
- 2A quick, springy bounce between knee drives
- 3Your core staying braced and tall
Common mistakes
- Hunching forward and losing your posture
- Landing flat-footed and heavy
- Twisting only your arms without rotating your trunk
Muscles worked
The double twist knee-up mainly works the obliques and hip flexors, with the upper abs, lower abs, quads, glutes, and calves assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the double twist knee-up 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.