Core · Bodyweight
Lying Bicycle Crunch
How to do the lying bicycle crunch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your legs lifted, knees bent. Bring one knee toward your chest while rotating the opposite elbow to meet it, then switch sides in a smooth pedaling motion.
- 1Your obliques firing as you rotate elbow toward the opposite knee
- 2Your abs staying braced as your shoulder blades stay off the floor
- 3A controlled extension of the straight leg without it dropping
Common mistakes
- Pulling on your neck with your hands
- Rushing the pedal; rotate from your torso, not momentum
- Letting your lower back arch off the floor
Muscles worked
The lying bicycle crunch mainly works the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques, with the hip flexors assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- ObliquesPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the lying bicycle crunch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.