Bicycle Crunch

Category
isolationDifficulty
beginner
Equipment
bodyweight
Force Type
pull
How to Perform the Bicycle Crunch
- Lie flat on your back with your lower back pressed into the floor, hands lightly behind your head with elbows wide.
- Lift both feet off the ground and bend your knees to approximately 90 degrees, with shins parallel to the floor.
- Simultaneously bring your right knee toward your chest while rotating your torso to bring your left elbow toward the right knee.
- As you rotate, extend your left leg straight out, keeping it elevated off the floor.
- Without pausing, switch sides by bringing your left knee in while rotating your right elbow toward it, and extending your right leg.
- Continue alternating in a smooth pedalling motion, exhaling with each twist and maintaining constant core tension.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Pulling on the neck with the hands
Place your fingertips lightly behind your ears for support only; the rotation should come from your core, not your arms pulling your head.
Moving too fast without proper muscle contraction
Slow down the movement and focus on fully rotating your torso to bring shoulder to opposite knee for maximum oblique activation.
Letting the extended leg drop to the floor
Keep the extended leg hovering a few inches above the ground to maintain constant tension on the lower abs.
Muscles Worked
Benefits
- ✓Simultaneously targets the rectus abdominis and obliques for complete core development.
- ✓Requires no equipment and can be performed anywhere.
- ✓Improves rotational core strength important for sports and daily activities.
Pro Tips
- ●Focus on rotating the shoulder toward the knee rather than the elbow to ensure proper torso rotation.
- ●Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout to protect the spine.
- ●Quality of contraction matters more than speed; slow and controlled reps are more effective.
Recommended Sets & Reps
Strength
4-5 sets of 10-15 reps per side
Hypertrophy
3-4 sets of 15-20 reps per side
Endurance
2-3 sets of 25-30 reps per side


