The 45 degree side bend is a bodyweight exercise targeting the abdominal muscles, particularly the obliques. It involves bending the torso to the side while standing, engaging the core for stability and control.
Also Works
Obliques
How to Perform
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended straight down by your sides.
2
Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, slowly bend your torso to one side, lowering your hand towards your knee.
3
Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly return to the starting position.
4
Repeat on the other side.
5
Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Think about shortening the distance between your bottom rib and hip bone on the bending side rather than just reaching your hand down.
•Keep your hips perfectly still and square; all movement should come from your torso bending laterally.
•Perform the movement slowly with a 2-second descent and 2-second return to maximize oblique engagement.
Common Mistakes
•Leaning forward or backward instead of bending purely to the side, which turns it into a partial crunch.
•Swinging the torso using momentum rather than controlling the bend with the obliques.
•Shifting the hips to the opposite side to compensate, which reduces the stretch and contraction on the target side.