Standing side crunches are a core exercise that strengthens the obliques and other core muscles. They can also help improve posture, balance, and weight loss.
Standing side crunches are similar to regular oblique crunches, but you do them standing up.
There are different types of standing oblique crunches. So, I’ll show you the best ways to do standing side crunches for a shredded midsection.
- kettlebell standing oblique crunch
- Standing oblique crunch with plate
- Dumbbell Standing crunch
Standing Oblique Crunch Muscles Worked
- Primarily, the muscles worked during the standing side crunches are oblique (the external and internal muscles).
- It also targets the Abs, Serratus anterior, and the Quadratus lumborum.
How To Do Standing Oblique Crunch
- Get into a standing position with your knees slightly bent, your feet hip-width apart, and your hands behind your head.
- Keep your chin tucked in throughout the movement.
- Bend your left knee and shift your weight to the left.
- Then, crunch to the right side and bring your right knee toward your elbow.
- Lower your right foot to regain your starting position.
- Pause at the top of the movement for 2–3 seconds.
- Switch your legs and repeat until the set is over.
- You can start by doing 2–3 sets of 10–12 repetitions.
Know More: 21 Best Oblique Exercises For A Strong Core
Best Variations Of Oblique Crunch
If you want a more advanced variation to stimulate different muscle fibers in the oblique, try the standing cable and dumbbell oblique crunch.
1. Standing Cable Oblique Crunch
Standing oblique crunches, also popular as side crunches, are effective abdominal exercises targeting your oblique muscles.
How To Do
- Attach the D-handle to a high pulley and stand side-on to the weight stack.
- Grasp the D-handle with your left hand and stand with the pulley to your left side.
- Ensure your forearm is positioned at an angle of 90 degrees to the upper arm and your feet are firmly placed on the floor at shoulder width.
- Keep your head up and back straight, and use your left oblique muscle to pull the weight down.
- Pause for a second and then return to the initial position.
- Do 10–12 reps.
- Turn around and repeat the cable side bend with your left side.
2. Standing Dumbbell Oblique Crunch
The standing dumbbell oblique crunch effectively targets the internal and external obliques, strengthens the lateral flexion of your spine, improves spinal mobility, and helps to develop a strong and stable core.
If you’re new to the exercise, practice the movement with your bodyweight alone.
Tips and Form
Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program.
- To work the oblique muscle, perform these exercises slowly and steadily.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Keep your back straight, eyes facing forward, and bend at the torso only.
- Don’t start with heavy weights if you are doing a weighted standing side crunch. Start with lighter weights and work your way up.
- You should always use weights that you can handle comfortably.
- Take an adequate amount of rest between sets.
- Keep your head up and back straight, and pull the weight down using your left oblique muscle as much as possible.
- Don’t bend too far down during the crunch, as this could cause injury, and the exercise doesn’t need to be effective.
- Ultimately, your results will depend on your ability to recover from your workouts adequately.
- To allow sufficient recovery, it would be best to allow at least 36 to 48 hours of rest before training the same muscle groups again.
- In case you suffer from any pre-existing conditions, never start doing the side crunches exercise without talking to your doctor.
Benefits Of Doing Standing Side Crunches
- Strengthen your back, tighten your core, tone your abs, and improve your balance and flexibility.
- This is an excellent exercise to address postural problems.
- It helps prevent and manage lower back pain and stiffness.
- Strengthening your oblique muscles will help you get rid of that fat around your side and midsection.
- Help build obliques and abdominal muscles for strength and stability.
- One of the most important side benefits of side crunches is that they give you a strong core.
- It makes you look more toned and reduces the risk of injuries.
- Strengthening your side muscles improves your posture and eases the strain on your spine.
Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.
Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.