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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

  1. 01Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. 02Place both hands lightly behind the ears without lacing the fingers.
  3. 03Press the lower back gently toward the floor.
  4. 04Lift the shoulder blades slightly off the floor to preload the abs.

Execution

  1. 01Exhale and curl one elbow across toward the opposite knee.
  2. 02Lift and drive that knee up to meet the elbow near the midline.
  3. 03Squeeze the obliques briefly at the contact point.
  4. 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.

Related exercises

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