FlexDumbbell Side Bends
Muscles worked
- Quadratus Lumborum
- Internal Oblique
- External Oblique
- Rectus Abdominis
- Erector Spinae
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Flexor Digitorum Superficialis
- CategoryCore
- Default target3 sets × 12–15 reps per side
- EquipmentDumbbells
- Movement patternCore
- Training stylesStrength, Hypertrophy
Technique
Setup
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand at your side, your other hand behind your head or on your hip.
Movement
Bend sideways at the waist to lower the dumbbell down your leg, then squeeze the opposite oblique to pull yourself back upright. Finish all reps, then switch sides.
Form Tip
Move strictly side-to-side, as if sliding between two panes of glass — and never hold a weight in both hands, since the second weight cancels the work.
Increase Difficulty
Pause 2 seconds at the bottom of the stretch.
Decrease Difficulty
Shorten the range and stop before any lower-back strain.
Hear the cue
The trainer's spoken setup and form tip for this exercise — the same clips Flex plays in a session.