Core · Bodyweight
on Bench Weighted Twisting Crunch
How to do the on bench weighted twisting crunch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie back on a bench with your knees bent and feet anchored, holding a weight plate at your chest. Crunch up and rotate your torso so one shoulder drives toward the opposite knee, then lower and repeat to the other side. The twist and added load target the obliques.
- 1Feel your obliques contract as you crunch and rotate to one side
- 2Lead the twist with your shoulder, not your elbow
- 3Curl your spine up rather than just lifting from the hips
Common mistakes
- Don't yank on your neck or chase the rotation with your head
- Avoid using momentum to swing up; control each rep
- Don't let your lower back arch off the bench at the bottom
Muscles worked
The on bench weighted twisting crunch mainly works the obliques and upper abs, with the lower abs and hip flexors assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
Kovo programs the on bench weighted twisting 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.