How to do a Bicycle Crunch
- Lie on your back with hands behind your head and knees lifted over your hips.
- Curl your shoulders up and press your lower back into the floor.
- Rotate to bring one elbow toward the opposite knee as you extend the other leg.
- Switch sides in a smooth pedaling motion, twisting from the waist.
- Keep your neck relaxed and move with control rather than speed.
Keep in mind
- Rotate from the ribs rather than yanking the elbow across.
- Extend the straight leg long and low, but keep the back on the floor.
- Go slowly enough that each rep has a clear top and bottom.
- Keep the elbows wide the whole time.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on the neck to reach the knee — think shoulder toward knee, not elbow.
- The straight leg going so low that the back arches — keep it higher.
- Going fast and rotating from the arms — slow down and turn the ribcage.
Breathing
Breathe out on each rotation, in as you switch sides.
Take care
The lower back should stay in contact with the floor — raise the extended leg until it does.
Easier and harder
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