Core · Bodyweight
Bent Arm Standing Side Bend
How to do the bent arm standing 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 with feet hip-width apart and bend one arm so the hand rests near the head with the elbow pointing up. Bend sideways at the waist toward the opposite side, feeling a stretch and contraction down the flank, then return tall and repeat.
- 1Obliques on the working side contracting as you bend over
- 2A stretch along the lengthened side of the trunk
- 3Hips staying square and facing forward
Common mistakes
- Leaning forward or backward instead of straight sideways
- Bouncing into the bottom of the bend
- Letting the hips shift out to the side
Muscles worked
The bent arm standing side bend mainly works the obliques, with the lower back, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
Kovo programs the bent arm standing 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.