Core · Bodyweight
Side Camel
How to do the side camel, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Kneel tall with your knees hip-width apart and hands on your lower back. Reach one arm overhead and lean to the opposite side, opening the side of your torso, hold the stretch, then return and repeat on the other side.
- 1Feel a long stretch open down the side of your torso
- 2Keep your hips pressing forward as you lean
- 3Breathe slowly and lengthen further on each exhale
Common mistakes
- Do not collapse or crunch into the side you are bending toward
- Avoid letting your hips fall back as you reach over
- Do not bounce; ease into the stretch and hold
Muscles worked
The side camel mainly works the obliques, with the lats, lower back, and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the side camel 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.