Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch

In SetGrip: Oblique Crunch (Feet on Bench)

Secondary muscles
Obliques
Body part
Core
Position
Lying
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Resting your feet on a bench bends the hips to ninety degrees before the set starts, which quiets the hip flexors and pins the low back to the floor while you crunch and rotate toward each side. It earns its place over the floor oblique crunch when regular crunches show up mostly in your hips.

How to do the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
  3. Engage your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, rotating your torso to one side.
  4. Pause for a moment, then lower your shoulder blades back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat on the other side.
  6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Breathe out as you crunch and let the last bit of air leave the lungs at the top of each rep.

Muscles worked

Primary

Abs · Core

The rectus abdominis shortens to bend the spine forward, and each rep should end with the upper abs fully contracted and the ribs pulled down.

Secondary

  • Obliques — Twisting or side crunch variations bring the obliques in, and you should feel them along the side of the waist on the working side.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling on the neck — hands behind the head should support, not yank; keep the elbows wide and the chin about a fist away from the chest.
  • Sitting all the way up — a crunch is a curl of the ribs toward the pelvis, not a sit-up; the lower back should stay on the floor the whole time.
  • Cranking out fast reps — momentum does the work if you bounce; lift to a squeeze, hold for a count and lower slowly.
  • Never adding load — once bodyweight reps get easy, hold a plate on the chest or use a cable rather than doing sets of 50.

Sets, reps and where it fits

GoalSets × repsRest
Strength3 × 8–1260 s
Endurance2–3 × 15–2545 s

Crunches close out a session after the heavy work, or they can fill the rest periods between sets of a lift that does not need much bracing. Pair a cable crunch with a cable side bend on the same stack.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without bodyweight

Easier and harder

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch work?

The Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch primarily works the abs. It also involves the obliques, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.

Is the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch good for beginners?

Yes. The Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch is rated beginner: it uses no equipment beyond your bodyweight and the movement is simple to learn. Start light, focus on the full range of motion and add load once every rep looks the same.

What can I do instead of the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch?

If you cannot do the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch, try the Banded Standing Crunch, the Banded Standing Oblique Crunch or the Cross Body Crunch. Each of them trains the abs through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.

How many sets and reps should I do?

It depends on your goal. For the Feet on Bench Oblique Crunch, a sensible starting point is strength: 3 × 8–12 with 60 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 15–25 with 45 s rest. Train it at the end of a session or pair it with a lower-body lift as active rest.

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