Core · Bodyweight
Squat Mobility Side Bend
How to do the squat mobility side bend, 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
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand in a wide quarter-squat with your feet outside shoulder width and your hips sunk down. Keep your chest tall and slide one hand down the outside of your thigh, bending your torso directly to that side until you feel a stretch through the opposite oblique. Drive back to center using your side and alternate.
- 1Stretch and pull through the oblique on the side you are bending away
- 2from
- 3Hips staying low and square in the squat the whole time
- 4Tall spine with the bend coming only from your waist
Common mistakes
- Rotating or leaning forward instead of bending straight to the side
- Standing up out of the squat as you bend
- Rushing the rep and bouncing at the bottom
Muscles worked
The squat mobility side bend mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower abs, quads, and glutes assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the squat mobility side bend 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.