Core · Bodyweight
Seated Side Bend with a Towel on a Padded Stool
How to do the seated side bend with a towel on a padded stool, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall on a padded stool holding a towel overhead with both hands, arms straight and the towel taut. Bend directly to one side, feeling a stretch and contraction down your waist, then return upright and repeat to the other side.
- 1Obliques on the lengthened side stretching, the working side contracting
- 2A long line from hip to fingertips as you reach over
- 3Hips staying planted on the stool
Common mistakes
- Rotating or leaning forward instead of straight to the side
- Letting the hips lift off the stool
- Using momentum; bend slowly and control the return
Muscles worked
The seated side bend with a towel on a padded stool mainly works the obliques, with the lower abs, lower back, and upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the seated side bend with a towel on a padded stool 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.