Cross-Body Crunch

Execution

1. Brace your core and lift your shoulder blades slightly off the floor to start from a light curl.
2. Exhale and rotate your right elbow and shoulder toward your left knee, while drawing that knee in slightly closer.
3. Squeeze the oblique hard at the closest point and hold for a beat.
4. Inhale and return to center without letting the shoulders touch back down.
5. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow toward the right knee, and keep alternating.

Quick cues

• Rotate from the ribs, not the neck.
• Shoulders don't touch down between reps.
• Elbow aims at the opposite knee.
• Move slowly, under control.

Common faults

• Fault: Pulling the neck forward with the hands to reach the knee

  Fix: Rest the fingertips lightly behind the ears and let the obliques do the rotating.

• Fault: Just waving the elbow without actually rotating the torso

  Fix: Slow down and feel the ribcage turn toward the opposite hip.

• Fault: Letting the shoulders touch all the way down between reps

  Fix: Hold the light shoulder curl constant for the whole set, letting only the torso rotate side to side.

• Fault: Rushing the reps and losing control just to add numbers

  Fix: Slow down and prioritize the quality of the squeeze over speed.