Core · Bodyweight
Standing Side Crunch
How to do the standing side 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
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. Crunch laterally to one side, bringing your elbow down toward your hip, then return to upright and repeat on the same side or alternate. Keep the movement controlled and driven by your obliques.
- 1Feel your obliques shorten on the side you crunch toward
- 2Keep your hips square and stable as your torso bends
- 3Move slowly and squeeze at the bottom of each crunch
Common mistakes
- Don't pull on your head or neck with your hands
- Avoid leaning forward or backward; bend straight to the side
- Don't use momentum; control each rep
Muscles worked
The standing side crunch mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs and lower abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- QuadsMinor
Kovo programs the standing side 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.