How to Do the Seated Corkscrew: Oblique Exercise Guide
Master the Seated Corkscrew to strengthen your obliques and core. Follow our expert step-by-step guide for better stability and rotational power.
How to Perform
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, then lean your torso back slightly until you feel your core engage.
- Place your hands behind your hips for support or extend them in front of you to increase the balance challenge.
- Lift your feet off the ground while keeping your shins parallel to the floor in a tabletop position.
- Rotate your knees and hips together toward one side while keeping your shoulders facing forward as much as possible.
- Reverse the movement to bring your knees back through the center and then rotate them to the opposite side.
- Focus on exhaling as you twist and inhaling as your legs return to the starting position.
- Maintain a tall spine throughout the set to prevent your lower back from rounding against the floor.
Common Mistakes
- Rounding the lower back which transfers tension away from the abdominals
- Using momentum to swing the legs rather than muscular control
- Moving the shoulders excessively instead of rotating from the waist
- Holding the breath throughout the repetition
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Obliquus externus abdominis
Stabilizers
- Rectus abdominis
- Hip flexors
- Transverse abdominis
Related Guides
- 3008 Abdominal Crunch — Core
- Ab Roller — Core
- Ab wheel — Core
Obliquus externus abdominis · Core