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Bicycle Crunch

A rotational movement that works the obliques alongside the abs through a continuous, alternating motion.

Setup

Lie on your back, hands lightly behind your head. Knees bent, feet off the floor, lower back pressed gently into the ground.

Movement

Bring one knee toward your chest while rotating. Twist your torso so the opposite elbow moves toward that knee — elbow to opposite knee, not elbow to same-side knee. Extend the other leg out. As one knee comes in, the other leg extends out, creating the pedaling motion the exercise is named for.

Return

Alternate sides with control. Continue the alternating pattern, prioritizing the rotation and contraction over speed.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Pulling on the neck with the hands. Hands behind the head should lightly support, not yank the neck forward to assist the crunch.

Equipment None (bodyweight)
Primary Muscles Abs (rectus abdominis), obliques
Secondary Muscles Hip flexors

Why it matters

Most basic crunches move in a single plane — straight up and down. The bicycle crunch adds a rotational component, engaging the obliques (the muscles along the sides of your core) in a way a standard crunch doesn't, while still working the central abs through the curling motion.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back, hands lightly behind your head. Knees bent, feet off the floor, lower back pressed gently into the ground.
  2. Bring one knee toward your chest while rotating. Twist your torso so the opposite elbow moves toward that knee — elbow to opposite knee, not elbow to same-side knee.
  3. Extend the other leg out. As one knee comes in, the other leg extends out, creating the pedaling motion the exercise is named for.
  4. Alternate sides with control. Continue the alternating pattern, prioritizing the rotation and contraction over speed.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling on the neck with the hands. Hands behind the head should lightly support, not yank the neck forward to assist the crunch.
  • Moving too fast to maintain control. Speed often comes at the cost of actually rotating and contracting properly — slower, controlled reps are more effective.
  • Letting the lower back arch off the floor. An arched lower back reduces core engagement and can create lower-back strain.
  • Only moving the legs without any torso rotation. Skipping the rotation turns this into a different, less complete exercise — the twist is what engages the obliques.

Sets & reps by level

Beginner

3 sets of 15–20 total reps (combining both sides), prioritizing control over speed.

Intermediate

3–4 sets of 20–30 total reps.

Advanced

4 sets of 30+ total reps, or slow the tempo significantly to increase time under tension per rep.

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