- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternCore
- Reps12 to 30 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie on your back with your hands lightly beside your head and your knees lifted over your hips.
First cueTurn the ribs, not just the elbow.
How to do the Bicycle Crunch
Set up. Lie on your back with your hands lightly beside your head and your knees lifted over your hips.
- Curl your shoulders up and rotate one elbow toward the opposite knee as that knee comes in.
- Extend the other leg out at the same time.
- Switch sides in a slow pedalling motion.
Form cues
- Turn the ribs, not just the elbow.
- Keep the lower back down.
- Go slowly.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the head with the hands.
- Pedalling quickly with no rotation.
Muscles worked
Main target: Obliques. The obliques wrap the sides of the waist. They turn and bend the trunk, and resist being turned or bent, which is the rotation work most gym programmes leave out.
On the way: Abs.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Bicycle Crunch, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Back Extension Same core session: it trains the lower back.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Bicycle Crunch first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Bicycle Crunch 3 × 12 to 30 reps
- Back Extension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise 3 × 6 to 20 reps
- Side Bend 3 × 10 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Side Bend
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Pallof Press
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Russian Twist.
Do before it: Pallof Press (bracing) and Dead Bug (bracing).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Bicycle Crunch is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Bicycle Crunch?
Set up: Lie on your back with your hands lightly beside your head and your knees lifted over your hips. Steps: 1. Curl your shoulders up and rotate one elbow toward the opposite knee as that knee comes in. 2. Extend the other leg out at the same time. 3. Switch sides in a slow pedalling motion. Form cues: Turn the ribs, not just the elbow. Keep the lower back down. Go slowly. Common mistakes: Pulling the head with the hands. Pedalling quickly with no rotation.
What muscles does the Bicycle Crunch work?
It trains the obliques as its main target and works the abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Bicycle Crunch?
At home: Side Bend. In a gym: Pallof Press. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Bicycle Crunch with?
Good partners in the same workout are Back Extension.