10 Best Band Bicycle Crunch Alternatives for Core Training

The Band Bicycle Crunch is done lying on your back with a band. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Lying Elbow To Knee, the Elbow-to-knee and Oblique Crunches.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Band Bicycle Crunch

Band Bicycle CrunchPlay demonstration
Primary muscle
Abs
Equipment
Band
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation

Secondary muscles: Hip Flexors, Obliques

How to perform Band Bicycle Crunch
  1. Lie flat on your back with your hands behind your head and your knees bent.
  2. Lift your feet off the ground and bring your right knee towards your chest while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring your left elbow towards your right knee.
  3. Straighten your right leg while bringing your left knee towards your chest and twisting your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
  4. Continue alternating the twisting motion, as if you are pedaling a bicycle, while keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
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Ranked Band Bicycle Crunch Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Band Bicycle Crunch on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Lying Elbow To KneePlay demonstration

    1. Lying Elbow To Knee

    89% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the abs with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.
    4. At the same time, extend your right leg straight out and lift it off the ground.
    5. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time bringing your left elbow towards your right knee and extending your left leg.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  2. Elbow-to-kneePlay demonstration

    2. Elbow-to-knee

    85% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.
    4. At the same time, bring your left knee towards your right elbow, creating a twisting motion.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body and extend your legs back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time bringing your left elbow towards your right knee and your right knee towards your left elbow.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  3. Oblique Crunches

    3. Oblique Crunches

    85% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put one hand beside your head and the other to the side against the floor.
    2. Make sure your feet are elevated and resting on a flat surface.
    3. Now lift the shoulder in which your hand is touching your head.
    4. Simply elevate your shoulder and body upward until you touch your knee. For example, if you have your right hand besides your head, then you want to elevate your body upwards until your right elbow touches your left knee. The same variation can be applied doing the inverse and using your left elbow to touch your right knee.
    5. After your knee touches your elbow, lower your body until you have reached the starting position.
    6. Remember to breathe in during the eccentric (lowering) part of the exercise and to breathe out during the concentric (upward) part of the exercise.
    7. Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  4. Oblique Crunches - On The Floor

    4. Oblique Crunches - On The Floor

    85% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start out by lying on your right side with your legs lying on top of each other. Make sure your knees are bent a little bit.
    2. Place your left hand behind your head.
    3. Once you are in this set position, begin by moving your left elbow up as you would perform a normal crunch except this time the main emphasis is on your obliques.
    4. Crunch as high as you can, hold the contraction for a second and then slowly drop back down into the starting position.
    5. Remember to breathe in during the eccentric (lowering) part of the exercise and to breathe out during the concentric (elevation) part of the exercise.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  5. Oblique Crunches FloorPlay demonstration

    5. Oblique Crunches Floor

    85% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
    2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor, rotating your torso to one side.
    4. Pause for a moment, then lower your shoulder blades back down to the floor.
    5. Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each repetition.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  6. Twisted Leg RaisePlay demonstration

    6. Twisted Leg Raise

    84% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides.
    2. Place your hands under your glutes for support.
    3. Engage your abs and lift both legs off the ground, keeping them straight.
    4. As you lift your legs, twist your hips to one side, bringing your legs towards your opposite shoulder.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the movement, this time twisting your hips to the other side.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  7. Alternate Heel TouchersPlay demonstration

    7. Alternate Heel Touchers

    80% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground and reach your right hand towards your right heel.
    4. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side, reaching your left hand towards your left heel.
    5. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  8. Oblique CrunchPlay demonstration

    8. Oblique Crunch

    78% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
    3. Engage your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, rotating your torso to one side.
    4. Pause for a moment, then lower your shoulder blades back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat on the other side.
    6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
  9. Spine TwistPlay demonstration

    9. Spine Twist

    77% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you.
    2. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
    3. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    4. Engage your abs and slowly twist your torso to the right, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.
    5. Pause for a moment at the end of the twist, then slowly return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat the twist to the left side, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: seated, not lying on your back
  10. Russian TwistPlay demonstration

    10. Russian Twist

    76% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
    2. Lean back slightly while keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Hold your hands together in front of your chest or hold a weight if desired.
    4. Lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your sit bones.
    5. Twist your torso to the right, bringing your hands or weight towards the right side of your body.
    6. Pause for a moment, then twist your torso to the left, bringing your hands or weight towards the left side of your body.
    7. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Band Bicycle Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a band
    • Body position: seated, not lying on your back
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Band Bicycle Crunch

Band Bicycle Crunch FAQ

What muscles does Band Bicycle Crunch work?

The Band Bicycle Crunch targets the rectus abdominis and internal/external obliques, with secondary activation of the transverse abdominis and hip flexors. Cue: exhale and twist from the ribcage while keeping the lumbar spine neutral to emphasize oblique torque and limit hip-flexor takeover.

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