Bicycle Crunch

Start

Finish

How to do it

Lie on your back with shoulder blades lifted, fingertips light behind the ears, and rotate the ribcage so one elbow turns toward the opposite knee while the other leg extends long and low.

Muscles worked

Primary: obliques · Also works: core, hip_flexors

Equipment

No equipment

Common mistakes

• Hauling the head sideways with the hands instead of turning the ribcage
• Pedalling fast and shallow rather than rotating through the mid-back on each rep
• Letting the extended leg drop so low that the lower back arches off the floor

Variations

• Keep both feet off the floor at a higher angle to reduce back stress
• Pause one second in each rotated position
• Arms crossed over the chest to stop the head-pulling

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Russian Twist
• Heel Touch Crunch
• Crunch
• Side Plank Reach Through

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a neck problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

• Pallof Pressobliques
• Side Plankobliques
• Kneeling Side Plankobliques
• Side Plank Hip Dipobliques
• Side Plank Reach Throughobliques
• Side Plank Leg Raiseobliques