Oblique Crunches
A bodyweight core exercise where you bring your elbow toward the opposite knee, twisting through the torso. It targets the core with an emphasis on the obliques rather than a straight ahead crunch.
- Primary musclesCore
- Secondary musclesnone listed
- EquipmentBodyweight
- LevelBeginner · isolation
How to do the oblique crunches
- Lie on your back with your lower back pressed to the floor and your feet resting on a raised surface.
- Place one hand lightly beside your head and rest the other arm on the floor.
- Lift the shoulder on the side of the hand touching your head, curling up and across your body.
- Bring that elbow toward the opposite knee, twisting through your torso as you exhale.
- Lower back down under control while you breathe in.
- Finish your reps on one side, then switch and repeat on the other.
Original library instructions (7 steps)
- Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put one hand beside your head and the other to the side against the floor.
- Make sure your feet are elevated and resting on a flat surface.
- Now lift the shoulder in which your hand is touching your head.
- Simply elevate your shoulder and body upward until you touch your knee. For example, if you have your right hand besides your head, then you want to elevate your body upwards until your right elbow touches your left knee. The same variation can be applied doing the inverse and using your left elbow to touch your right knee.
- After your knee touches your elbow, lower your body until you have reached the starting position.
- Remember to breathe in during the eccentric (lowering) part of the exercise and to breathe out during the concentric (upward) part of the exercise.
- Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on your neck with the hand behind your head; let the hand rest lightly instead of yanking.
- Using momentum to swing up instead of curling; move slowly and feel the obliques working.
- Doing far more reps on one side than the other; keep the sets even on both sides.
- Lifting the whole lower back off the floor; only the shoulders should come up.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side, 45 to 60 seconds rest |
| Muscle | 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps per side, 30 to 45 seconds rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 25 reps per side, 30 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Focus on twisting through the torso rather than just bending forward to touch elbow to knee.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Are oblique crunches good for beginners?
Yes. They use only bodyweight and a small range of motion, which makes them an accessible way to start training the core with some rotation.
What muscles do oblique crunches work?
They target the core, with the twisting motion putting extra emphasis on the obliques compared with a straight crunch.
