How to Do Standing Side Crunches: Form and Benefits

Master standing side crunches to strengthen your obliques and core without needing to get on the floor. Perfect for beginners and home workouts.

How to Perform

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands placed lightly behind your head with elbows flared out.
  2. Shift your weight onto your left leg while maintaining a slight bend in the knee for balance.
  3. Lift your right knee toward your right elbow by contracting the muscles on the side of your waist.
  4. Lower your right shoulder toward your right hip simultaneously to maximize the contraction of the obliques.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement when the knee and elbow are at their closest point.
  6. Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position with control to complete one repetition.
  7. Complete the set on one side before switching to the other leg or alternate sides as preferred.

Common Mistakes

  • Pulling on the neck or head with the hands
  • Leaning forward instead of strictly to the side
  • Using momentum to swing the leg up
  • Holding the breath during the contraction
  • Collapsing the chest and rounding the upper back

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Obliquus externus abdominis

Stabilizers

  • Rectus abdominis
  • Hip flexors
  • Gluteus medius

Related Guides

Obliquus externus abdominis · Core