Core · Bodyweight
Standing Side Crunch Elbow to Knee
How to do the standing side crunch elbow to knee, 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
Stand tall with your hands behind your head. Lift one knee out to the side while crunching your torso laterally to bring your same-side elbow down to meet it, then return to standing and repeat.
- 1Feel your obliques squeeze as elbow and knee meet
- 2Stay tall through the spine before each crunch
- 3Balance on the standing leg with a braced core
Common mistakes
- Do not just bend at the waist without contracting the obliques
- Avoid hunching your shoulders forward
- Do not lose your balance by rushing the reps
Muscles worked
The standing side crunch elbow to knee mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower abs, hip flexors, and quads assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the standing side crunch elbow to knee 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.