Bicycle Crunches Exercise Guide
Reviewed by
Valerie Zeller
Printable version
Bicycle is abdominal exercises designed to work and strengthen the core. While lying on your back and moving your legs (in a way similar to pedaling on a bike), your abs will “crunch” as you draw your leg in toward you. Bicycles are a great exercise if you are trying to target multiple areas of your abdominals, such as your obliques and upper abs.
How to do Bicycle Crunches
Exercise
Lie on your back with your legs straight up to the ceiling and your feet softly pointed. Breathe in to prepare and as you breathe out draw the legs over the body and peel the spine up off the floor one vertebrae at a time. Place your hands on the back of your pelvis, your upper arms and elbows are on the floor supporting the pelvis. Reach your legs up to the ceiling so the are at 90 degrees to the floor. You are now in the start position.
Simultaneously stretch your right leg towards the floor and draw your left leg towards your chest, bend the right knee dropping the heel towards the buttock. Taking the bent right leg forward and stretching the left leg back, straighten the right leg and bend the left, dropping the left heel towards the buttock – as if you were riding a bike upside down. Pedal you invisible upside down bike forward 10 times, and then reverse the movement to backpedal 10 times.
To finish bring the legs back together and vertical before sequentially lowering the spine back down to the floor.
Modifications
Rather of sitting down and raising up your chin, neck and arms, sit up in a strong, seated role. Move your elbows into your thigh while raising your knees back toward you, use your core power.
When you are only starting out, just come up halfway while doing the crunch instead of completely linking the elbow to knee.
For more of a task, throw on a leg extension before the move's completion. When the arm bends back and you pinch, stretch your leg until it is fully straight.
When you're pregnant, sit back on your elbows and forearms for protection instead of putting your hands behind your shoulders. So push your knees in into your torso using your abdominal muscles.
Exercise Benefits
Leg Stretch
Full-body Strength
Core Strength
Illustrated Guide
Learn how to do bicycle crunches from this step-by-step illustrations:
Muscles Worked
The muscles used for bicycle crunches may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for bicycle crunches are:
Primary Muscles
- Abs
- Hamstrings
- Deltoids
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
Synergyst Muscles
Frequently Asked Questions
Training, Progressions and Regressions
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Bicycle Crunches Training and Progressions
Standards and Averages
Wonder how do others perform in Bicycle Crunches and how should you?
Bicycle Crunches Standards and Averages
Alternatives
Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?
Variations
Wonder how to make Bicycle Crunches either easier or more challenging?
Discover more
Classification
| Type(s) | Bodyweight, Calisthenic, Strength |
| Muscles Worked | Abdominals, Biceps Femoris, Deltoids, Quadriceps, Gluteus |
| Difficulty Level(s) | Moderate |
| Equipment | No Equipment |
| Location | At Gym, At Home, Outdoor |
| Major Exercise | Ab Crunches |
Muscles Worked
| Target muscle(s) | Abs, Hamstrings, Deltoids, Quadriceps, Glutes |
| Synergyst muscle(s) |
