Core · Bodyweight
Surrender Side Bend
How to do the surrender 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
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Kneel tall on both knees with your hips stacked over them and place your hands behind your head, elbows wide. Keeping your hips square and facing forward, bend directly to one side, lowering your elbow toward the floor and feeling a stretch in the opposite oblique. Use your side to pull yourself back upright, then repeat to the other side.
- 1Feel your obliques contract as you pull your torso back upright
- 2Keep your hips locked and square throughout the bend
- 3Move slow and controlled to the side and back
Common mistakes
- Avoid rotating or leaning forward as you bend
- Don't let your hips shift to one side
- Don't use momentum to whip yourself back up
Muscles worked
The surrender side bend mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the surrender 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.