A supine crunch with a rotational component that brings the opposite elbow toward the raised knee to work the abdominal muscles.
How to do the Cross Body Crunch#
- Lie on your back with knees bent about 60 degrees and feet flat; place your hands lightly behind your head.
- Brace your abs and exhale as you lift your upper torso while rotating so one elbow moves toward the opposite knee and that knee rises to meet it.
- Hold the top briefly with your core engaged.
- Lower your torso and leg back down in a controlled motion to the starting position.
- Repeat on the opposite side, alternating sides for the prescribed reps.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Obliques (External & Internal Obliques), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
- Secondary: Hip flexors (Iliopsoas (Hip Flexors))
Common mistakes#
- Yanking the head forward with the hands.
- Relying on momentum rather than abdominal contraction.
- Allowing the lower back to lift off the floor.
- Rotating the hips instead of the ribcage.
