From lying on your back, alternate bringing opposite elbow toward knee while extending the other leg to perform a twisting crunch that primarily works the abdominals.
How to do the Bicycle Crunch#
- Lie on your back with knees bent and hands lightly supporting your head; lift your upper back a few inches off the mat.
- Drive one knee toward your chest as you rotate your torso and bring the opposite elbow toward that knee.
- Straighten the other leg out in front of you as you complete the twist.
- Return to center and repeat on the other side, keeping the movement controlled and alternating smoothly for the desired reps.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Obliques (External & Internal Obliques)
- Secondary: Hip flexors (Iliopsoas (Hip Flexors))
Common mistakes#
- Pulling on the neck with your hands.
- Using leg momentum instead of rotating the torso.
- Letting the lower back arch away from the mat.
- Not fully extending the opposite leg during each repetition.
