How To Do Bicycle Crunches For A Strong Core?

Introduction

Bicycle crunches are one of the greatest core exercises for strengthening and reducing your abdomen, while they work multiple muscle groups. This dynamic exercise helps develop a strong and defined core by targeting the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles), obliques, and hip flexors. Bicycle crunches, compared to conventional crunches, use a twisting motion to improve stability and rotational strength.

What is the Bicycle Crunch Exercise?

This is a great exercise for your abdominal muscles, reaching not only your regular abdominal muscles but also your deep abs and obliques. The bicycle crunch exercise is a great way to work your core and doesn’t require any special equipment. You can do it as a whole-body workout or as a core workout.

Maintaining proper posture and performing effectively in your regular tasks are made easier with a strong core. It is also essential for performing well in physical activities and sports. You can make sure you’re using your muscles in a variety of ways by doing a range of core and abdominal workouts.

This is the ideal exercise to add some variety to your core training. It uses both your internal and external obliques, so it requires more movement and constant core involvement, but it will provide you all the same advantages as the regular crunch.

However, bicycle crunches can be painful on your hips and back if done incorrectly. Trainers frequently keep off the guidelines because they are so frequently included in workout regimens. For this reason, it’s critical to understand how to perform a bicycle crunch properly and effectively.

What do bicycle crunches do for the body?

You may reduce your waist size and tone your midsection with this activity. Bicycle crunches are particularly excellent for improving stability, flexibility, and coordination because they call for lower limb movement compared to normal crunches.

A strong core is necessary for many daily activities, such as stair climbing and lifting heavy store bags, and it can even help prevent frequent strains and accidents. Reaching and twisting are also necessary for everyday tasks, including playing with children, putting items away in cupboards, and removing items from shelves.

What Muscles Do Bicycle Crunches Work? 

The bicycle crunch strengthens your entire core, with a particular emphasis on the following muscles, much like a regular crunch:

Obliques: Obliques are found along the torso’s sides. When performing a bicycle crunch, these are the main muscles used. The internal and external obliques are activated by bicycle crunches, which aid with pelvic and spinal stabilization. When performing daily tasks, they also assist you in rotating your body.

Rectus abdominis: The rectus abdominis is the most common name for the “six-pack” muscle. This is the main abdominal muscle that helps support the core during a bicycle crunch and is in charge of flexing the lumbar spine, or low back.

Transverse abdominis: The deepest part of the abdomen is the transverse abdominis. It functions somewhat like a compression garment, tightening and stabilizing the core while it wraps around the spine for support. The bicycle crunch’s pedaling motion enables you to work these deep core muscles.

Health benefits of bicycle crunch exercise

• You can tone your abdominal muscles with this exercise.
• Increases stability.
• Aids in increasing the trunk’s flexibility.
• Aids with reaching and twisting tasks in day-to-day living.
• Strengthens the muscles in your abdomen.
• Aids in the reduction of abdominal fat.
• For a core workout, this is the ideal exercise.
• Aids in maintaining proper posture.

How to do the bicycle crunch exercise?

• To complete this activity, you must With your legs bent and your lower back pressed to the floor, lie on a level surface. Place your hands behind your head while keeping your feet planted firmly on the floor. To stabilise your spine, contract your abdominal muscles and pull in your abdomen.
• Holding your head lightly with your hands, slowly raise your knees to a 90-degree angle, bringing your feet off the floor as you pull your shoulder blades back. Exhale and begin by pedalling a bicycle slowly, keeping both legs up above your hips and pulling one knee up to your armpit while straightening the other two. To contact your elbow to the opposing knee as it rises, rotate your trunk.
• With the second leg extended and that knee pulled towards your armpit, alternately twist to the opposite side until your elbow reaches the opposing knee.
• Perform this for two to three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Bicycle Crunches Exercise Video

There are different variations of the bicycle crunch below

Standing bicycle crunch

How to do it?

• An easier variation of this workout that follows the motion of the bicycle crunch but is performed standing up is the standing bicycle crunch.
• To complete this exercise, you must bend from the waist and lower your turning arm to reach the opposing leg’s knee, which you then elevate to meet the center of your body.
• Perform this for two to three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions using alternating hands and knees.

Elevated bicycle crunch

How to do it?

• Try this raised bicycle crunch for a more difficult variation; you must lie down on a bench to complete it.
• This increases hip mobility and forces your core to work harder to connect your legs to your twisting trunk since your legs descend further in each repetition for a wider range of motion.
• Perform this for two to three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions.

Bosu ball bicycle crunch

How to do it?

• Following the instability this exercise introduces, your core is under more pressure during the entire action.
• To complete this exercise, you will need one Bosu ball. You rest your back on the elastic half of the Bosu ball, while the other flat side rests on the ground.
• This makes it a little easier to use for bicycle crunches than a regular gym ball, which may be a lengthy and difficult exercise due to the possibility of rolling off the ball completely. If you think you have the stomach for it, you can try utilizing a gym ball. This exercise requires you to lie down with your feet on the floor and your lower back resting on the ball. After that, do this exercise as usual, twisting while sitting up to bring your elbow to the other knee, but before you raise the other knee, put your foot back on the floor.
• Do not be surprised if you do not complete as many sets and repetitions as you usually do because the additional work required to maintain your balance on the ball will cause your core to exhaust more quickly than it would with a typical bicycle crunch.
• These four exercises can assist in strengthening your core if you need a bit more practice before you can do the bicycle crunch properly.
• Perform this for one or two sets of 25–30 repetitions.

Common mistakes

Hip Rotation

The rotation should be done entirely by your trunk. You need to move your legs straight forward and backward; your hips shouldn’t be moving. Keep your lower back pressed into the floor while doing this exercise.

Neck Straining

When pulling your head forward, rotate by using your trunk. Simply rotate your body as far as you can if you feel yourself straining with your head and neck to get your elbow to touch your knee.

When did you not do this exercise?

• If your doctor advises you to rest, follow their advice.
• Stop this exercise once and speak with your therapist if you experience any pain or difficulty.
• If you recently had surgery on your abdomen.
• If you recently suffered a bone fracture in your arm or leg.
• If you have pain in your lower back. If the physiotherapist suggests it, you can do it.

Safety and Precautions

• Consult your doctor or physical therapist about whether crunches are suitable for you if you have neck or back issues. If done incorrectly, it might compress the spine and strain the neck.
• After the first trimester of pregnancy, stay away from crunches. If you have back issues, listen to how your lower back feels and stop the exercise if you experience any pain or strain.
• Your experience level and final goals will determine how many repetitions you perform.
  

How to Include Bicycle Crunches in Your Exercise Routine

If you have been avoiding bicycle crunches—possibly because you believed they were ineffective or because you felt uncomfortable performing them—you should now realize how beneficial and efficient they are when performed correctly.

Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a lot of time to benefit from them either. Within a few weeks, a few sets done two or three times a week should be more than sufficient to strengthen your core. Even better, they can be easily included in a variety of training plans, including your current ab circuit, full-body days, and other mat-based exercises like yoga and mat Pilates.

Conclusion

An effective core workout that works the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors is the bicycle crunch. They contribute to overall stability, strengthen the core, and increase muscular definition by combining regulated motions and appropriate techniques.

The secret to maximising advantages and lowering the chance of damage is consistency and appropriate technique. Better posture, functional fitness, and athletic performance can all be supported by using bicycle crunches in a well-rounded exercise program.

FAQs

References

• How to do a bicycle crunch | Step-by-step | Abs and core exercises | The Gym Group. (n.d.). https://www.thegymgroup.com/exercises/abs-and-core-exercises/how-to-do-a-bicycle-crunch/
• Ms E. Q. (2023, May 26). How to do a bicycle crunch: fitness tips, variations, and common mistakes. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/bicycle-crunch-exercise-3120058
• Theriot, D. (2024, November 22). 3 ways to do bicycle crunches – WikiHow. wikiHow. https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Bicycle-Crunches
• Ross, M. (1970, January 1). This is one of the most effective core exercises, according to science. https://www.onepeloton.com/en-GB/blog/bicycle-crunches
• AB Exercises | Supine Bicycle Crunches. (n.d.). https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/241/supine-bicycle-crunches/?srsltid=AfmBOootbXxfyG_TiJHh4WJR-9twSaayLAhIJmOM8BU1J2Qz28tJQI7h
• How to do bicycle crunches. (n.d.). PureGym. https://www.puregym.com/exercises/abs/bicycle-crunches/