Cross-body crunch
The cross-body crunch combines abdominal flexion and rotation, moving one shoulder toward the opposite knee from the floor.
CORE · CORE
How it is executed
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands placed lightly behind your head without pulling.
- Keep your lower back neutral.
- Lift your torso by bringing your right shoulder toward your left knee as you exhale, rotating the torso in a controlled way.
- Return slowly to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
- Keep the movement small, precise, and driven by your core—not your neck.
- Muscles worked
- Core
- Primary muscle
- Obliques
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Movement pattern
- Core
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- What it is for
- Core strengthStrength
Common mistakes
- Pulling the head: keep the hands as light support.
- Chasing contact at any cost: reduce rotation.
- Dropping to the floor: control the descent.
Frequently asked questions
- Must the elbow touch the knee?
- No. Rotate the rib cage with control rather than reaching by pulling the neck or closing the elbow.
- Is it the same as a bicycle crunch?
- The bicycle also alternates leg extension. In this variation the legs can stay grounded while the trunk rotates.
- Does it remove side fat?
- It trains muscle but does not let you choose where fat is lost. Its purpose is abdominal strength and control.
Sources and editorial approach
The explanation, variations and FAQs are Kaizer’s editorial synthesis. ACSM’s 2026 guidance provides general context on progression and resistance training in healthy adults; it does not independently validate the technique of each variation.
No individual professional review is recorded for this page.
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