Shoulders · Bodyweight
Side Step Diagonal Punches
How to do the side step diagonal punches, 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
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand in an athletic stance and step to one side, then throw two diagonal punches up and across your body before stepping back the other way and repeating. Keep your knees soft, your core braced, and rotate slightly through your trunk as you punch for a steady cardio pace.
- 1Your shoulders working as you punch across your body
- 2Your core rotating to power each punch
- 3Light, quick footwork side to side
Common mistakes
- Don't fully lock out your elbows when you punch
- Avoid letting your steps get sloppy and crossed up
- Don't hunch your shoulders up to your ears
Muscles worked
The side step diagonal punches mainly works the front delts, with the obliques, triceps, upper abs, lower abs, quads, glutes, calves, and side delts assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- TricepsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the side step diagonal punches 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 shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.