10 Best Bent Knee Lying Twist Alternatives for No-Equipment Workouts

The Bent Knee Lying Twist is done lying on your back. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Band Lying Hip Internal Rotation, the Band Seated Hip Internal Rotation and the Exercise Ball One Leg Prone Lower Body Rotation. Six harder versions, among them the Incline Twisting Sit-up and the Crab Twist Toe Touch, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Bent Knee Lying TwistWatch the Bent Knee Lying Twist

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Bent Knee Lying Twist

The steps for the Bent Knee Lying Twist itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Glutes, with obliques, hip flexors · Bodyweight · Beginner · Isolation

  1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Extend your arms out to the sides, perpendicular to your body.
  3. Keeping your knees together, slowly lower them to one side, aiming to touch the ground with your knees.
  4. Pause for a moment, then engage your core and slowly lift your knees back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement to the other side.
  6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Bent Knee Lying Twist Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Bent Knee Lying Twist on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Band Lying Hip Internal RotationPlay demonstration

    1. Band Lying Hip Internal Rotation

    83% match

    Glutes · Beginner · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a band to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Band
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and a resistance band looped around your feet.
    2. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest, keeping your feet together.
    3. Slowly rotate your knees outwards, away from each other, while keeping your feet together.
    4. Pause for a moment at the end of the rotation, then slowly return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
    • Equipment: a band, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
  3. Exercise Ball One Leg Prone Lower Body RotationPlay demonstration

    3. Exercise Ball One Leg Prone Lower Body Rotation

    68% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a stability ball to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Lie face down on the stability ball with your hips resting on the ball and your legs extended straight behind you.
    2. Place your hands on the ground in front of you for support.
    3. Engage your glutes and core muscles to stabilize your body.
    4. Slowly lift one leg off the ground, keeping it straight and parallel to the floor.
    5. Rotate your leg outward, away from your body, while keeping your hips and upper body stable.
    6. Pause for a moment at the end of the rotation, then slowly return your leg to the starting position.
    7. Repeat the rotation with the other leg.
    8. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
    • Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
  4. Incline Twisting Sit-upPlay demonstration

    Progression

    4. Incline Twisting Sit-up

    67% match

    Abs · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the abs rather than the glutes.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
    2. Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
    3. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
    4. Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the bench, curling forward.
    5. As you curl up, twist your torso to one side, bringing your elbow towards the opposite knee.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
    7. Repeat the movement, this time twisting your torso to the other side.
    8. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not glutes
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
  7. Exercise Ball Back Extension With RotationPlay demonstration

    7. Exercise Ball Back Extension With Rotation

    61% match

    Spine · Advanced · Compound

    A looser match: it works the spinal erectors rather than the glutes.

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Start by lying face down on the stability ball with your hips resting on the ball and your feet firmly planted on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
    3. Engage your core and slowly lift your upper body off the ball, extending your back until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly rotate your torso to one side, keeping your hips and legs stable.
    5. Return to the center and repeat the rotation to the other side.
    6. Lower your upper body back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: spine, not glutes
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Bent Knee Lying Twist
    • Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back

Bent Knee Lying Twist FAQ

What muscles does Bent Knee Lying Twist (male) work?

The move primarily targets the glutes and hip external rotators while engaging obliques for controlled rotation. It biases the posterior chain by combining hip rotation with pelvic control, so you feel activation in the upper-leg and lateral hip rather than the spine.

Can I build muscle without doing Bent Knee Lying Twist (male)?

Yes. You can hypertrophy the glutes using progressive overload and movement variety, single-leg bridges, hip thrust holds, and clamshells all produce targeted glute activation. Focus on increasing time under tension, reps, or resistance while maintaining proper hip mechanics to stimulate growth.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.