Standing Side Crunch Elbow Drive

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Place your fingertips lightly behind your ears with your elbows flared out wide to the sides.
3. Shift your weight onto your left leg, keeping it strong and stable, while resting the toes of your right foot lightly on the floor.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift your right knee out to the side toward your shoulder while simultaneously crunching your torso laterally to drive your right elbow down toward the rising knee.
2. Squeeze your obliques hard at the top of the movement, ensuring your elbow and knee move in the same frontal plane.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower your leg and return your torso to an upright, neutral position.
4. Complete the prescribed number of repetitions on one side before switching to the other.

Form checklist

• Keep your chest open and avoid pulling on your head or neck with your hands.
• Ensure the movement is strictly lateral; do not lean forward or round your shoulders toward the floor.
• Maintain a soft bend in the standing knee to protect the joint and improve balance.
• Focus on bringing the ribcage toward the hip bone rather than just moving the limbs.

Pro tips

• To maximize oblique activation, imagine you are trying to 'pinch' the skin at your waistline during the contraction.
• Slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension and force the core to work harder for stability.

Make it harder

• Perform the movement without letting the working foot touch the ground between repetitions to significantly increase the balance challenge.
• Hold a light dumbbell in the hand of the working side to add external resistance to the lateral crunch.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the standing side crunch elbow drive work?

The standing side crunch elbow drive primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the standing side crunch elbow drive?

The standing side crunch elbow drive requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the standing side crunch elbow drive good for beginners?

The standing side crunch elbow drive is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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