Core · Bodyweight
Oblique Crunches with Straight Leg Lift
How to do the oblique crunches with straight leg lift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side with your legs stacked and straight, bottom arm on the floor for support and top hand behind your head. At the same time, crunch your top elbow toward your hip and raise both straight legs off the floor, squeezing the obliques on the down side. Lower under control and repeat, then switch sides.
- 1Obliques on the bottom side squeezing as elbow and legs meet
- 2Both straight legs lifting together off the floor
- 3A tight contraction through your waist at the top of each rep
Common mistakes
- Pulling on your neck with your top hand
- Rolling onto your back; stay stacked on your side
- Using momentum to swing your legs instead of a controlled lift
Muscles worked
The oblique crunches with straight leg lift mainly works the obliques, with the lower abs, hip flexors, and upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the oblique crunches with straight leg lift 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.