Oblique Crunches
How to do the Oblique Crunches with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Abs
,
Body Only
How to do the Oblique Crunches
- 1
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put one hand beside your head and the other to the side against the floor.
- 2
Make sure your feet are elevated and resting on a flat surface.
- 3
Now lift the shoulder in which your hand is touching your head.
- 4
Simply elevate your shoulder and body upward until you touch your knee. For example, if you have your right hand besides your head, then you want to elevate your body upwards until your right elbow touches your left knee. The same variation can be applied doing the inverse and using your left elbow to touch your right knee.
- 5
After your knee touches your elbow, lower your body until you have reached the starting position.
- 6
Remember to breathe in during the eccentric (lowering) part of the exercise and to breathe out during the concentric (upward) part of the exercise.
- 7
Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Oblique Crunches set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your abs volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
More abs exercises
Oblique Crunches: common questions
What muscles does the Oblique Crunches work?
The Oblique Crunches primarily works the Abs.
Is the Oblique Crunches suitable for beginners?
Yes. The Oblique Crunches is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.
What equipment do I need for the Oblique Crunches?
None. The Oblique Crunches is a bodyweight exercise, so you can do it without any equipment.
Is the Oblique Crunches a compound or isolation exercise?
The Oblique Crunches is an isolation exercise, it targets the abs through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.
How do I do the Oblique Crunches with correct form?
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put one hand beside your head and the other to the side against the floor. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Oblique Crunches sets, free.
Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.
The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.
Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.
14-day free trial · no card to start
| Free | Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking, the climb and streaks | ||
| Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables | ||
| Muscle-league tiers | ||
| The AI coach | nudges | Full conversation |
| Worldwide leagues and challenges | , | |
| PR projections and deep analytics | , | |
| Unlimited crews | , | |
| Themes, export and higher AI limits | , |