The cross body crunch is a bodyweight abdominal exercise that targets the abs and obliques. It involves twisting the torso to bring an elbow towards the opposite knee, engaging the core muscles.
Also Works
Obliques
How to Perform
1
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2
Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
3
Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground and twist to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat on the other side, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee.
6
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Twist your torso to bring your elbow toward the opposite knee, not just your shoulder. The rotation is what engages the obliques.
•Focus on contracting the oblique on the side you are crunching toward. You should feel a squeeze in the side of your waist.
•Keep the non-working elbow pointed outward to prevent pulling on your neck.
Common Mistakes
•Pulling on the neck with both hands to assist the crunch, which strains the cervical spine and reduces ab engagement.
•Only moving the elbow toward the knee without actually rotating the torso, which misses the oblique entirely.
•Rushing through reps without a pause at the contracted position.