Bicycle Crunch

Execution

1. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor into a crunch, keeping your neck in line with your spine.
2. Bring both knees up to hip height with your thighs parallel to the floor; this is the starting position.
3. Extend your right leg straight out while rotating your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee, which stays bent, exhaling as you turn.
4. Return to the center position and inhale.
5. Switch sides: extend your left leg, rotate to bring your left elbow toward your right knee, which stays bent, exhaling as you turn.

Quick cues

• Crunch gently, no neck strain
• Elbow to opposite knee
• Shoulders stay off the floor
• Steady pace, don't rush the kicks

Common faults

• Fault: Pulling the head up with the hands during the crunch

  Fix: Rest the hands lightly at the temples and use the abs to lift the head and shoulders

• Fault: The thighs sinking low, losing the 90-degree hip angle

  Fix: Actively pull the knee back up to hip height after every kick, slowing the tempo if needed

• Fault: Extending the leg too close to the floor so the lower back arches up and aches

  Fix: Extend the leg higher, about 45 degrees off the floor, and only lower it further while the lower back stays pressed down

• Fault: Skipping the torso rotation and bending just the neck to fake the reach

  Fix: Rotate from the ribcage, keep the neck neutral, and accept the elbow not quite reaching the knee