Core · Bodyweight
Straight Arm Seated Twist
How to do the straight arm seated twist, 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
Sit tall with your legs extended and arms reaching straight out to the sides at shoulder height. Rotate your torso to one side from your waist, keeping your arms long and your hips facing forward, then rotate to the other side. Move with control through the midline.
- 1Feel your obliques driving the rotation from the waist
- 2Keep your spine tall and arms reaching long
- 3Rotate only as far as your hips stay fixed
Common mistakes
- Do not let your hips twist along with your torso
- Avoid slumping or rounding your lower back
- Do not throw the arms with momentum to spin further
Muscles worked
The straight arm seated twist mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower back, and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the straight arm seated twist 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.