Bicycle Crunches: How to Do Them Right (Slow Down!)
How to do bicycle crunches correctly for obliques and abs: shoulder-to-knee rotation, tempo, breathing, common mistakes and easier or harder variations.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
The bicycle crunch has been highlighted in muscle activity (EMG) research as one of the more demanding body-weight exercises for the rectus abdominis and obliques. But most people do them so fast that they're mostly flapping elbows. Slow down and they become a different exercise.
How to do a bicycle crunch
- Lie on your back, fingertips lightly behind your ears.
- Lift your shoulders off the floor and bring your knees to 90°.
- Extend your right leg as you rotate your left shoulder toward your right knee.
- Pause for a beat.
- Switch: extend the left leg, rotate right shoulder toward left knee.
- Breathe out on each rotation.
Think "shoulder to knee," not "elbow to knee." Elbows can stay wide.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on your neck: hands just touch your head
- Elbow-flapping without rotating: twist the ribcage
- Too fast: aim for about one rep per two seconds
- Lower back arching: keep the extended leg higher
Variations
| Easier | Harder |
|---|---|
| Feet on the floor, upper-body twist only | Slow tempo with 2 s pause |
| Extended leg higher | Extended leg low, near the floor |
| Smaller range | Holding a light weight at the chest |
Sets and reps
Two to three sets of 16–30 total reps (both sides). They fit well in an oblique workout or the 10-minute ab workout.
Pair with
Muscles worked
The bicycle crunch combines three movements: trunk flexion (rectus abdominis), trunk rotation (internal and external obliques) and hip flexion and extension (hip flexors and lower abs keeping the pelvis stable). That combination is one reason it has scored well in EMG comparisons of ab exercises. More muscles work at once, and the alternating legs make your core work to stay stable.
Tempo is the whole exercise
Compare two sets of 20:
- Fast: about 20 seconds. Elbows flap, little rotation, legs swing.
- Slow: about 45–60 seconds. Full rotation, a pause on each side, controlled legs.
The slow set is far harder and far more effective. If you can do more than 30 slow reps, make the exercise harder by lowering the extended leg or adding a pause, rather than going faster.
A 6-minute oblique set built around bicycles
- Bicycle crunch (slow): 20 total
- Side plank: 20 s per side
- Heel touches: 20 total
- Bicycle crunch (slow, 2 s pause): 16 total
Rest 30 seconds and repeat once.
Breathing
Exhale on each rotation and take a small breath as you switch sides. Holding your breath through a long set of bicycles makes your neck and face tense and cuts the set short.
Frequently asked questions
Do bicycle crunches work lower abs?
They work the whole rectus abdominis and obliques; leg movement adds some lower ab emphasis.
Why does my neck hurt?
You're likely pulling your head forward. See neck pain during crunches.
How many bicycle crunches a day?
Two or three slow sets is plenty within a full routine.
Are bicycle crunches good for beginners?
Yes, with the feet-down version and slow tempo.