Cross-Body Crunch
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Cross-Body Crunch
- Lie flat on your back and bend your knees about 60 degrees.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and place your hands loosely behind your head. This will be your starting position.
- Now curl up and bring your right elbow and shoulder across your body while bring your left knee in toward your left shoulder at the same time. Reach with your elbow and try to touch your knee. Exhale as you perform this movement. Tip: Try to bring your shoulder up towards your knee rather than just your elbow and remember that the key is to contract the abs as you perform the movement; not just to move the elbow.
- Now go back down to the starting position as you inhale and repeat with the left elbow and the right knee.
- Continue alternating in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Cross-Body Crunch
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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2
Cable Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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3
Cable Reverse Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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4
Cable Seated Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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5
Exercise Ball Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using an exercise ball.
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6
Kneeling Cable Crunch With Alternating Oblique Twists
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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7
Rope Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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8
Standing Rope Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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9
Suspended Reverse Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs.
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10
Crunch - Hands Overhead
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do cross-body crunch work?
Cross-Body Crunch primarily works the abs.
What equipment do I need for cross-body crunch?
None. Cross-Body Crunch is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.
Cross-Body Crunch: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Cross-Body Crunch is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of cross-body crunch?
Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends, Cable Crunch, Cable Reverse Crunch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my cross-body crunch reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; cross-body crunch can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Cross-Body Crunch with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.