Bicycle Crunch

Equipment

No Equipment Needed

Muscle Group

Core

Setup

Lie on your back on a mat with enough space to extend your legs. This is a bodyweight core exercise—focus on control and clean reps over speed. If your neck tends to strain, you can place a small towel under your head or keep your hands lightly supporting the head without pulling.

Starting Position

Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor so your hips and knees are at about 90 degrees (tabletop). Place your hands lightly behind your head with elbows wide. Brace your core by drawing your ribs down toward your pelvis and gently press your low back into the mat. Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor and keep your chin slightly tucked.

Execution

Exhale and rotate your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee as you extend your right leg straight out (hovering a few inches above the floor). Keep your hips stable and focus on twisting through your ribcage, not pulling on your neck. Return through center under control and switch sides: left elbow toward right knee while the left leg extends. Continue alternating in a smooth, controlled rhythm, keeping your shoulders lifted and your low back pressed into the mat. Aim for quality reps with a full, deliberate twist.

Tips on doing this exercise

Think “ribs to hip” on each side to get a stronger oblique contraction.

Keep your shoulders off the floor and your chin tucked to reduce neck strain.

Make the extended leg hover (don’t rest it) but don’t lower it so far that your low back lifts.

Slow the tempo and add a brief pause at the twist for better core engagement.

If you feel your hip flexors more than your abs, raise the leg a bit higher and re-brace your ribs down.

‍

Common Mistakes

Pulling on the neck or yanking the head forward with the hands

Letting the low back arch off the mat (losing core control)

Moving too fast and turning it into a hip/leg swing instead of a core exercise

Elbows collapsing in and reducing the quality of the rotation

Bringing elbow to knee by lifting the knee only (minimal torso rotation)

Extending the leg too low too soon and losing posture

‍

Recommended Ranges

Core endurance/conditioning: 2–4 sets of 20–40 total reps (10–20 per side)

Hypertrophy/oblique emphasis: 3–4 sets of 12–20 reps per side (slower tempo)

Beginner: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps per side with controlled range
Rest 30–60 seconds between sets.

‍