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Lying Elbow to Knee
A lying cross-body crunch that brings the opposite elbow and knee together, training the obliques and rectus abdominis with rotation built in.
CoreBodyweightRotational trunk flexion
GoLightWeight medialying-elbow-to-knee
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
ObliquesRectus abdominis
Secondary
Hip flexorsTransverse abdominis
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Rotational trunk flexion
Setup
- 01Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- 02Place both hands lightly behind the ears without lacing the fingers.
- 03Press the lower back gently toward the floor.
- 04Lift the shoulder blades slightly off the floor to preload the abs.
Execution
- 01Exhale and curl one elbow across toward the opposite knee.
- 02Lift and drive that knee up to meet the elbow near the midline.
- 03Squeeze the obliques briefly at the contact point.
- 04Lower under control and repeat on the other side.
Checkpoints
- -Rotation comes from the trunk, not from tugging the head with the hands.
- -Lower back stays close to the floor throughout.
- -The knee and elbow meet over the torso, not off to one side.
- -Each rep gets a full exhale at the top.
Common mistakes
- -Pulling on the neck to fake range of motion.
- -Whipping the elbow across with momentum instead of curling the trunk.
- -Letting the resting foot push the hips off the floor.
- -Rushing reps so the obliques never get a real contraction.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per side with a controlled tempo.
- -Pause 1 second at the elbow-to-knee contact to increase difficulty without load.
- -Pair with an anti-rotation hold like a Pallof press for balanced oblique work.
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