How to do an Oblique Crunch
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Oblique Crunch
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Oblique Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Similar to Crunches, this is a bodyweight core exercise. By reaching across your torso, you can help isolate your obliques. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to specifically target their obliques.
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at 60 degrees, and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your left hand behind your head and your right arm extended on the floor or across your torso.
- Now, bring your left elbow and shoulder across your body while bringing your right knee in toward your left elbow. Alternatively, place your right foot across your torso on the left knee.
- During the movement, try to bring your left shoulder up towards your knee rather than just raising the arm and elbow alone.
- Return to the starting position and then repeat the movement.
- Once you’ve completed the allotted reps for your left arm, repeat with the opposite side.
Common Form Mistakes
Sitting Up Too Far
Crunches are designed so you only raise your shoulder blades, not your entire torso. While it isn’t ineffective or dangerous to raise your torso off the ground, it isn’t a crunch. Focus on contracting your abs to get just your shoulders elevated.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Oblique Crunch standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
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Alternative Exercises to Oblique Crunch
1. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 2,307 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
- Beginner
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2. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,819 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
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3. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,619 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
- Beginner
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4. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,480 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
- Beginner
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5. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,434 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
- Beginner
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6. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,382 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
- Beginner
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7. Reverse Crunch
87.7 mSCORESWAPPED 1,045 TIMESReverse Crunch is a variation on the more standard crunch, although it may appear closer to something like a Leg Raise. Rather than engaging your core to bring your chest towards your pelvis, you instead elevate your legs, and bring your pelvis in towards your chest.
- Beginner
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8. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,036 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.
- Beginner
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9. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,035 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
- Beginner
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10. Dead Bug
92.4 mSCORESWAPPED 794 TIMESDead Bugs are a bodyweight core exercise that requires you to lay on your back, and alternate extending your arms and legs out away from your body. The position you’re in on the ground keeps your core engaged, while extending your arms and legs away from you forces you to further recruit your core to continue to stabilize yourself.
- Beginner
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