Oblique Crunch
The Oblique Crunch is a targeted bodyweight core exercise that isolates the side abdominal muscles through a combination of spinal flexion and rotation. It helps sculpt the waistline while improving rotational strength and lateral stability.
Since core recovery is often overlooked, our AI analyzes your HRV and sleep data to determine if your obliques are ready for high-volume endurance work or if you need a lighter maintenance session. If you log lower back discomfort during spinal flexion, the app learns this association and will recommend anti-rotation alternatives to protect your spine. Additionally, by tracking RPE and rep consistency, the system ensures you are progressively overloading the muscles rather than just mindlessly counting reps.
Form Cues
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor throughout the movement
- Exhale sharply as you twist and crunch up
- Lift one shoulder blade completely off the ground
- Visualize bringing your rib cage toward your opposite hip
- Control the descent slowly to maximize time under tension
- Don't pull on your neck or head with your hands
- Don't use momentum to swing your torso upward
- Don't let your hips lift off the floor
- Don't rush the movement; avoid bouncing at the bottom
- Don't hold your breath while crunching
Common Mistakes
- Yanking on the neck
- Using momentum instead of muscle contraction
- Insufficient range of motion
- Lifting the lower back off the floor
- Holding breath during exertion
Muscles Worked
This exercise places primary stress on the internal and external obliques, which are essential for rotational power and torso stability. It also heavily recruits the rectus abdominis (your 'six-pack' muscles) to initiate the crunch, providing a comprehensive workout for the entire abdominal wall.
Primary
Secondary
Get Personalized Coaching for Oblique Crunch
Don't guess your way through weights or workouts. Download Iridium for automatic, AI-powered coaching that adapts to your recovery and goals.