How to do an Oblique Crunch

Video Transcript

"Next I'm going to show you the proper way to do an oblique crunch. So what you want to do is come on back down on the mat. Again, your back is flat, knees are bent, and feet are planted firmly on the floor. You're going to bring your shoulders off the mat focusing on your abdominals using your abdominal muscles to keep your shoulders off the mat. Your chins off the chest, your neck is straight. Your neck is always neutral with your spine. Hands at your sides and what you want to do is just with your right hand reach over toward your right shoe, toward your right arch and then come on back to center, over, and back. Again, it's a nice slow controlled motion. Once again, keep your lower back pressed into the mat. Keep your chin off the chest. Neck is always neutral with your spine and to the other side. Make sure you're breathing normally. Big exhale at the top of the movement helps you get a little deeper into the crunch. If you like to add a little tempo to it you can always go from right, right over to the left. Don't swing. Try to keep the pressure on your lower abs. don't let your shoulders hit the mat. Couple more and there you go. That's the proper execution of your oblique crunch."