Core · Bodyweight
Standing Ab Twist
How to do the standing ab 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
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands clasped or elbows bent in front of your chest. Brace your core and rotate your torso from side to side, turning through the waist while keeping your hips facing forward and your movement controlled.
- 1Obliques contracting to drive the rotation each direction
- 2Hips and lower body staying still while the trunk turns
- 3A controlled, steady tempo through the full twist
Common mistakes
- Throwing the arms and using momentum instead of the core
- Letting the hips swivel along with the torso
- Rotating from the lower back instead of the waist
Muscles worked
The standing ab twist mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower abs, and lower back assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- LatsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the standing ab 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.