Core · Bodyweight
Lying Side to Side Knee
How to do the lying side to side knee, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, arms out to the sides for support. Keeping your knees together and your shoulders on the floor, let both knees drop slowly to one side, then bring them back through center and lower to the other side. Control the motion with your core and feel the rotation through your trunk and hips.
- 1Let the rotation come from your trunk while your shoulders stay down
- 2Feel your obliques control the knees on the way down and back up
- 3Move slowly so your core, not momentum, does the work
Common mistakes
- Don't let your shoulders peel off the floor
- Avoid dropping the knees so fast you lose control
- Don't force the range past a comfortable stretch
Muscles worked
The lying side to side knee mainly works the obliques, with the lower abs, lower back, upper abs, and hip flexors assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- GlutesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the lying side to side knee 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.