Core · Bodyweight
Standing Diagonal Grab
How to do the standing diagonal grab, 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
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and reach one arm up and across to the opposite high corner. Pull that arm down and across your body in a diagonal line toward your opposite hip, as if grabbing something out of the air and pulling it down. Rotate your torso into the motion, then reach back up and repeat before switching sides.
- 1Feel your core and obliques rotate to pull the arm down
- 2Reach long at the top before driving across the body
- 3Keep your hips stable while your trunk rotates
Common mistakes
- Do not move only your arm; rotate from the trunk
- Avoid rounding your back as you pull down
- Do not let momentum throw you off balance
Muscles worked
The standing diagonal grab mainly works the obliques, with the lats, lower abs, and upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- LatsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the standing diagonal grab 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.