All Exercises

Lever Kneeling Twist

Target your obliques with the Lever Kneeling Twist, a strength exercise that carves your waist.

Intermediate
Isolation
Push
1 min per set1 min rest

Description

A strength exercise where the user kneels on a pad and twists their torso using a lever machine.

How to Do Lever Kneeling Twist

  1. 1
    Setup

    Adjust the machine's pad height and resistance to a comfortable yet challenging level. Kneel on the pad, ensuring your hips are stable and facing directly forward.

  2. 2
    Setup

    Position your torso against the lever arm pad, ensuring it makes contact with your side, just below your rib cage. Hold the handles lightly for stability, not to assist the movement.

  3. 3

    Keeping your hips stationary and core engaged, exhale and initiate the twist by rotating your torso away from the lever arm. Focus on contracting your obliques to drive the movement.

  4. 4

    Twist as far as comfortably possible, maintaining control and a stable lower body. Ensure your head and shoulders move in unison with your torso.

  5. 5

    Inhale as you slowly and deliberately return to the starting position, resisting the weight's pull. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other.

Tips

  • Focus on initiating the movement from your obliques, not by pulling with your arms or jerking your head. The handles are for balance, not leverage.
  • Keep your hips stable and facing forward throughout the entire movement to isolate the twisting motion to your core. Avoid any rotation in your lower body.
  • Control the eccentric (return) phase of the movement; don't let the weight pull you back quickly. This enhances muscle engagement and prevents injury.
  • Maintain a neutral spine and avoid excessive arching or rounding of your back to protect your lower back and ensure proper oblique activation.

Common Mistakes

  • ×Using too much momentum: Avoid jerking the weight or twisting too quickly; instead, perform the twist slowly and with control to maximize oblique engagement.
  • ×Allowing hips to rotate: Prevent your hips from rotating with your torso by actively engaging your glutes and keeping your lower body stable on the pad.
  • ×Pulling with arms: Do not pull the lever arm with your arms; instead, focus on driving the movement purely through your torso rotation and oblique contraction.

Variations

Related Exercises

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