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Oblique Crunches Floor

A floor crunch with knees dropped to one side, biasing the obliques while keeping the setup as simple as a standard crunch.

AbsBodyweightTrunk flexion with oblique bias
GoLightWeight mediaoblique-crunches-floor

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Obliques

Secondary

Rectus abdominisQuadratus lumborumHip flexors

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Trunk flexion with oblique bias

Setup

  1. 01Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
  2. 02Drop both knees together to one side until they rest on the floor.
  3. 03Keep both shoulder blades in contact with the mat.
  4. 04Place your hands lightly behind your head or across your chest.

Execution

  1. 01Exhale and crunch the shoulders straight up off the floor.
  2. 02Lift until you feel the side of the waist above the dropped knees contract hard.
  3. 03Pause for a one count at the top.
  4. 04Lower under control and complete the set before switching the knees to the other side.

Checkpoints

  • -Both shoulders lift evenly toward the ceiling.
  • -Knees stay relaxed on the floor to the side.
  • -The neck stays neutral with no hand pulling.
  • -The contraction is felt along the side of the waist, not just the front.

Common mistakes

  • -Letting the top shoulder lag so the crunch turns into a twist.
  • -Pulling the chin to the chest with the hands.
  • -Lifting the knees off the floor mid set.
  • -Doing fast partial reps without a top pause.

Programming notes

  • -Use 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps per side.
  • -Match reps exactly between sides to avoid imbalance.
  • -Add a slow 2 second lowering phase before considering external load.

Related exercises

Oblique Crunch V. 2

Bodyweight / Abs

Cross Body Crunch

Bodyweight / Abs

Crunch Floor

Bodyweight / Abs

Elbow-To-Knee

Bodyweight / Abs

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