Core · Bodyweight
Seated Diagonal Knee Raise on Bench
How to do the seated diagonal knee raise on bench, 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
Sit on the end of a bench and grip the sides for support, leaning back slightly. Drive one knee up and across toward the opposite shoulder, then lower and alternate, working the obliques with each diagonal raise. Keep your core engaged and chest tall.
- 1Feel your obliques crunch as the knee drives across
- 2Keep your core engaged to control each raise
- 3Sit tall and avoid collapsing the chest
Common mistakes
- Don't swing the knee up with momentum
- Avoid hunching your back to meet the knee
- Don't let the lower back arch off its support
Muscles worked
The seated diagonal knee raise on bench mainly works the obliques, lower abs, and hip flexors, with the upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the seated diagonal knee raise on bench 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.