Sitting Floor Side To Side Leg Raise In Out Crunch

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and place a dumbbell standing upright on the floor in front of your feet as a hurdle.
2. Place your hands on the floor slightly behind your hips (or grip the edges of a flat bench if seated on one) for stability.
3. Lean your torso back at a 45-degree angle and engage your core to maintain a neutral spine.
4. Position both feet together on the left side of the dumbbell to begin.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift both legs together over the dumbbell to the right side, keeping a slight bend in the knees.
2. Once your feet clear the dumbbell, immediately pull your knees toward your chest in a crunching motion while slightly bringing your torso forward.
3. Inhale as you extend your legs back out to the right side, then lift them back over the dumbbell to the starting left side.
4. Perform a crunch on the left side and repeat the alternating pattern with a controlled, fluid tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep your chest lifted and avoid rounding your shoulders or lower back.
• Ensure your feet stay glued together throughout the entire movement.
• Maintain a 'hollow' core position to prevent the lower back from arching.
• Focus on lifting the legs using the lower abs rather than just swinging the hip flexors.

Pro tips

• To maximize oblique engagement, slightly rotate your knees toward your shoulder during the 'in' phase of the crunch.
• Hover your feet just an inch off the floor at the bottom of each rep to maintain constant tension on the rectus abdominis.
• Slow down the 'out' phase of the crunch to increase the eccentric load on the core.

Make it harder

• Perform the exercise with your hands lifted off the floor and held across your chest to remove the stability support.
• Hold a light medicine ball or a small dumbbell between your feet to increase the resistance on the lower abs.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch work?

The sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch?

The sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch uses dumbbell.

Is the sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch good for beginners?

The sitting floor side to side leg raise in out crunch is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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