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Cross Body Crunch
A floor crunch with rotation that brings the elbow toward the opposite knee, targeting the obliques along with the rectus abdominis.
AbsBodyweightRotational trunk flexion
GoLightWeight mediacross-body-crunch
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Obliques
Secondary
Rectus abdominisHip flexors
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Rotational trunk flexion
Setup
- 01Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- 02Place the fingertips lightly behind the ears, elbows wide.
- 03Press the lower back gently toward the floor.
- 04Keep the chin off the chest with eyes toward the ceiling.
Execution
- 01Exhale and curl the torso up while rotating one shoulder across the body.
- 02Drive that elbow toward the opposite knee, lifting the knee to meet it.
- 03Pause briefly with the obliques fully contracted.
- 04Lower with control and repeat to the other side or finish the set on one side.
Checkpoints
- -The shoulder, not just the elbow, travels across the body.
- -Hands stay light behind the ears with no neck pulling.
- -The lower back stays connected to the floor.
- -Rotation happens at the top of the crunch, not as a flat swivel.
Common mistakes
- -Yanking on the head and neck to create the twist.
- -Flapping the elbow inward while the torso barely rotates.
- -Rushing reps so the obliques never get a full contraction.
- -Lifting the entire back off the floor into a sit-up.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per side.
- -Slow the top pause to 1 to 2 seconds before adding volume.
- -Alternating sides each rep keeps tempo honest and even.
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