Core · Bodyweight
Side Kick Through
How to do the side kick through, 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
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a bear position with hands under shoulders and knees hovering off the floor. Lift one hand and the opposite foot, rotating your hips open as you kick that leg through underneath your body and extend it out to the side. Reverse the motion back to the bear position and alternate sides.
- 1Feel your obliques and deep core driving the rotation as the leg kicks
- 2through
- 3Keep the supporting hand and foot planted and stable to anchor the spin
- 4Brace your midsection so the hips rotate without the lower back arching
Common mistakes
- Do not let your hips sag toward the floor during the kick through
- Avoid moving only with your legs and leaving the core loose
- Do not rush the rotation and lose control of the supporting limbs
Muscles worked
The side kick through mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the upper abs, hip flexors, triceps, quads, glutes, and front delts assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the side kick through 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.