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Air Bike

A supine core exercise pairing alternating knee drives with opposite-elbow rotation to train the abs and obliques.

AbsBodyweightTrunk flexion with rotation

Primary

Rectus abdominisObliques

Secondary

Hip flexorsTransverse abdominis

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Trunk flexion with rotation

Setup

  1. 01Lie flat on your back on a mat.
  2. 02Place fingertips lightly behind your ears, elbows wide.
  3. 03Lift both feet off the floor, knees bent 90 degrees.
  4. 04Curl shoulder blades slightly off the mat and brace.

Execution

  1. 01Extend one leg while driving the other knee toward the chest.
  2. 02Rotate the opposite elbow toward the rising knee.
  3. 03Switch sides in a smooth pedaling rhythm.
  4. 04Keep both shoulder blades hovering throughout the set.

Checkpoints

  • -Lower back stays pressed into the mat.
  • -Rotation comes from the ribcage, not the neck.
  • -The extended leg hovers without touching the floor.
  • -Each rep pauses briefly as elbow meets knee.

Common mistakes

  • -Yanking the head forward with the hands.
  • -Pedaling so fast the torso barely rotates.
  • -Letting the lower back arch off the mat.
  • -Dropping the extended leg to the floor between reps.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 sets of 20 to 30 total touches, or 30 to 45 second intervals.
  • -Slow the tempo and pause at each elbow-to-knee contact to increase difficulty.
  • -Progress by extending the straight leg lower without losing back contact.

Related exercises

Crunch

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Flutter Kick

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Hanging Leg Raise

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