Core · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Side Bridge
How to do the dumbbell side bridge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side with your legs stacked and prop yourself on your bottom forearm, elbow under your shoulder, holding a dumbbell resting on your top hip. Lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from head to feet, holding the dumbbell in place for added load. Hold the position for the allotted time, then switch sides.
- 1Obliques on the bottom side bracing to hold your hips up
- 2A straight line from head to feet with no sag
- 3The added dumbbell load driving deeper waist tension
Common mistakes
- Letting your bottom hip drop toward the floor
- Rotating your torso forward or back out of a flat plane
- Holding your breath; breathe steadily under the load
Muscles worked
The dumbbell side bridge mainly works the obliques, with the lower abs, glutes, lower back, and upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell side bridge 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.