Dumbbell side bend: how to do it
Main muscles: Obliques. Helpers: Erector spinae (lower back). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
10–15
Rest
75 s
Muscle group
Core
How to do it
- Dumbbell in one hand, the other on the waist, feet at hip width.
- Bend strictly to the side without rotating the torso, until the obliques stretch.
- Come back with the side muscles, not with a jerk.
Common mistakes
Leaning forward, rotating the torso, holding a dumbbell in both hands at once.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Obliques
- Secondary
- Erector spinae (lower back)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Alternatives: similar exercises
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500