Video Demonstration
Standing Side Crunches is a Calisenthtic, Functional standing core exercise that mainly targets your oblique muscles.
This article will cover how you do this exercise with video, image and a written step by step description on how to perform it.
Its difficulty level, optional and required equipment, the different muscles that get worked.
The benefits you get from doing it, and some training tips to make sure you get the most out of doing this exercise.
Standing Side Crunches How to Guide
Image Example
Step by Step Description
Step 1: Stand up, put a slight bend in your knees and move your feet, so they are approximately shoulder width apart. Place your palms on the back of your head.
You are now in the starting position.
Step 2: Move your weight on to your left leg. Bring your right knee up towards your right elbow and perform a crunch.
Step 3: Lower your right foot back to the floor returning to the starting position.
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 using the opposite side.
You have now completed one repetition. Repeat for the desired number of reps or periode you have selected.
Difficulty Level
The Standing Side Crunch gets rated at an Intermediate difficulty level.
Equipment Required
Since this is a Calisthenics training method, you only need your body to perform them.
Muscles Worked
The primary muscles worked by this lift are your Obliques. The secondary muscles involved are your Abdominals and the Hip Flexors.
Benefits From the Standing Side Crunch
You will burn a higher amount of calories compared to oblique plank training. The Standing Side Crunch also places less strain on your neck and lower back.
Increase the strength in your core while improving your balance and stability.
Since there is no equipment required to perform this exercise you can do it anywhere.
It is an effective way for you to tighten the entire side of your abdominal wall.
Training Tips
This exercise commonly gets used in High-Intensity Interval Training H.I.I.T.
To fully activate your oblique muscles use a slow and controlled movement. To use this exercise for cardiovascular conditioning, you need to do your reps faster to get your heart rate up.
Keep your hips in place. Do not allow them to swing back and forth.
Your body should form a straight line from your feet to your head. Do not lean forward when you are performing it.
Breath out when you are performing the crunch and inhale when lowering your leg.
Alternate Exercises
- Suitcase Deadlift
- Side Plank Twist
- Plank Knee to Elbow
- Side Plank Crunches
In closing
The Standing Side Crunch is a great exercise to strengthen your core and add some functional bodyweight training into your routine.
You do not need any equipment to start using it. Making it very useful as a supplement exercise on days when you can not get to your local gym.
If you have never used this lift before, try it out for a few weeks to see first hand all the benefits that it has to offer.
If you plan on using this exercise in an HIIT training routine, check out our free online HIIT Timer.
Looking to gain more strength or lose some weight? We offer free fitness tools to help you reach your fitness goals. Register for free while we are in beta and get free lifetime access to our fitness tools that include an easy to use Calorie Counter, High-Intensity Interval Timer, Multiple Fitness Calculators and our Exercise Logger.
