Core · Bodyweight
Weighted Plate Side Twist From Squat
How to do the weighted plate side twist from squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a weight plate at chest height with both hands and drop into a quarter or half squat. Bracing your core, rotate your torso to one side, then explosively reverse and rotate to the other side as you stay low in the squat. Keep your hips and feet planted so the twist comes from your trunk.
- 1Feel your obliques and core power the rotation from side to side
- 2Stay low in the squat so your legs hold the position while your trunk turns
- 3Keep the plate moving on a tight arc in front of your chest
Common mistakes
- Don't let your knees cave or your feet pivot; keep the lower body
- anchored
- Avoid arching or rounding your lower back as you twist
- Don't let the plate drift far from your body and strain your shoulders
Muscles worked
The weighted plate side twist from squat mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the upper abs, quads, forearms, lower back, and glutes assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- GlutesSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the weighted plate side twist from squat 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.