Side Crunch

Side Crunch Basics

Primary Muscles Worked: Obliques

Synergist Muscles: Rectus Abdominus and Transverse Abdominus

Mechanics: Isolation

Equipment: Open Floor Space

How To Perform The Side Crunch

• Lay on the floor so that your left shoulder, left hip and left ankle all touch the ground. Your right leg should be stacked on top of your left leg.
• Take your right arm and place it behind your head so that your elbow is pointing up.
• Move your body laterally, raising your left shoulder off of the ground. Try to elevate up rather than rotate toward your hips. You should feel this contract your right oblique.
• After you are a few inches off of the ground, hold for a brief moment and then slowly lower your left shoulder and body back to the floor.
• Perform your target rep number for your right side and then lay on your right side and perform the same upward motion with your left side.

Side Crunch Tips

• Avoid excess curvature at your neck when performing the side crunch exercise. Your neck should remain in a neutral, straight line position with your spine.
• Do not pull your hand against your head to assist you with the side crunch. This will cause excess lateral curvature at your neck and decrease the load placed on your obliques.

Side Crunch and Sports Application

Oblique stabilization and strength are two of the most important aspects in sports competitions. The side crunch does not train the twisting mechanism of the obliques; however, it does train the body to dynamically stabilize while performing lateral movement. The side crunch is a basic exercise should be incorporated into abdominal exercise programs for athletes new to weight training. However, larger individuals and those with high body fat may find the side crunch too difficulty to perform correctly. For those athletes, a standing side crunch may is a better option.