Core · Bodyweight
Standing Hand Behind Side Bend
How to do the standing hand behind 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
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and place one hand behind your head, elbow pointed out to the side. Keeping your hips square, bend your torso sideways toward the opposite hip, then contract your side to return upright. Complete your reps on one side before switching.
- 1A stretch on the lengthened side and a squeeze on the working oblique
- 2Your hips staying still while only the torso bends
- 3A controlled tempo in both directions
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips shift or rotate to cheat the bend
- Leaning forward or backward instead of straight to the side
- Pulling on your head with the hand behind it
Muscles worked
The standing hand behind side bend mainly works the obliques, with the lower back, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
Kovo programs the standing hand behind 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.