Oblique Crunch

The Oblique Crunch is, as its name suggests, a variation of the original floor crunch. And, also as its name suggests, the Oblique Crunch has as its particular concern the oblique muscles, which run along the sides of the midsection. The Oblique Crunch is one of a number of routines that individuals may incorporate into their regimens so as to flatten belly regions evenly across the entire midsection, rather than inordinately focusing on just one region.

In order to perform an Oblique Crunch one must lie flat on his or her back and bend his or her knees. Then comes the unique part of the Oblique Crunch. Before crunching, the individual turns his or her legs at the hips, all the way until the legs are both resting on the ground to one side. Then the crunches begin with the individual flattening his or her lower back against the ground and curling upward, with hands placed behind the head. It is said to be helpful to hold the crunch position for a two count at the height of the curl. After performing a set number of Oblique Crunches on one side, the individual then twists his or her legs to the other side and performs the same number of crunches. Again, the Oblique Crunch is a unique way to flatten belly muscles that may get only minimal attention from more common abdominal exercises.