Exercise guide
Standing Incline Bird Dog Crunch Against Wall
- Beginner
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Shoulders
- Waist
This beginner-friendly core exercise improves balance and stability by challenging the obliques and abs through a standing incline position. It effectively integrates the upper and lower body while placing less stress on the spine than traditional floor variations.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand facing a wall or an incline bench at arm's length with feet hip-width apart.
- Place your hands firmly on the surface at shoulder height, leaning forward to create a slight incline with your body.
- Engage your core and glutes to establish a straight line from your head to your heels.
How to do it
- Inhale and simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward, keeping your hips square to the surface.
- Exhale as you draw your right elbow and left knee toward each other under your torso, crunching your abs and rounding your mid-back slightly.
- Inhale and extend back to the reaching position with control, maintaining a 2-1-2 tempo.
- Return to the starting stance and repeat on the opposite side, alternating for the duration of the set.
Form checklist
- Keep the standing leg slightly bent to maintain balance and protect the knee.
- Avoid arching your lower back as you extend your leg; focus on glute activation instead.
- Keep your neck neutral by looking at the wall or bench rather than your feet.
- Ensure your hips stay level and do not rotate toward the side of the moving leg.
Pro tips
- Push actively away from the wall with your supporting hand to engage the serratus anterior and stabilize your shoulder.
- Focus on 'shortening' the space between your ribs and hips during the crunch for maximum oblique contraction.
Make it harder
- Increase the incline by moving your feet further back from the wall to place more weight on your core.
- Hold the crunch position for 2-3 seconds to increase time under tension for the abdominals.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the standing incline bird dog crunch against wall work?
- The standing incline bird dog crunch against wall primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the standing incline bird dog crunch against wall?
- The standing incline bird dog crunch against wall requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the standing incline bird dog crunch against wall good for beginners?
- Yes. The standing incline bird dog crunch against wall is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.