Core · Bodyweight
Seated Lean Back on a Chair
How to do the seated lean back on a chair, 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
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall on a chair with your feet flat and hands crossed over your chest or reaching forward. Brace your abs and slowly lean your torso back toward the seat as far as you can control, then pull yourself upright using your core and repeat.
- 1Abs and deep core loading as you lean back
- 2A slow, controlled descent and return
- 3Spine staying long, chest tall
Common mistakes
- Dropping back fast and letting the chair catch you
- Holding your breath or straining your neck
- Rounding hard and yanking yourself up
Muscles worked
The seated lean back on a chair mainly works the lower abs and upper abs, with the hip flexors and obliques assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the seated lean back on a 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.