Barbell Side Bend

What it is

This exercise involves standing with a barbell across your upper back and bending sideways at the waist. It primarily targets your abdominal muscles, particularly the obliques, helping to improve core stability and definition. You will also engage your lower back as a secondary muscle group.

Technique tips

• Focus on maintaining a straight back throughout the movement.
• Initiate the bend purely from your waist, avoiding any trunk rotation.
• Control the movement; do not rush or use momentum to return.
• Inhale as you lower to the side, exhale as you return to upright.
• Keep your feet firmly planted and hips stable during each repetition.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.