Core · Bodyweight
Spine Twist
How to do the spine 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 or stand tall with your arms extended out to your sides at shoulder height. Keeping your hips and lower body fixed, rotate your torso to one side as far as you comfortably can, then return to center and rotate to the other side. Move smoothly and breathe out as you twist.
- 1Feel the rotation come from your obliques and mid-back
- 2Keep your spine tall and shoulders down throughout
- 3Stay balanced over your hips as you twist each way
Common mistakes
- Don't let your hips or knees turn with you
- Avoid slumping or rounding your spine as you rotate
- Don't force the twist past a comfortable range
Muscles worked
The spine twist mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the spine 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.