5 Bicycle Crunches Benefits, Expert Tips & Variations 2024

Bicycle crunches heavily engage multiple abdominal muscles, providing a comprehensive abdominal workout. They target the obliques, rectus abdominis, and deeper transverse abdominis muscles, as well as muscles that stabilize the pelvic girdle. 

There are many more bicycle crunches’ benefits, the top five of which will be explored throughout this article. Learn how to make the most out of adding this exercise to your ab workouts at home or the gym.

5 Bicycle Crunches Benefits

Here are five benefits we think will convince you to add the bicycle crunch to your fitness routine.

Targets The Core Muscles

Our core muscles support all our activities of daily living, including maintaining our posture while sitting, standing, and moving around. Bicycle crunches are dynamic and engage multiple core muscles simultaneously, building strength and endurance.

The rectus abdominis and obliques are activated throughout the bicycle crunch and contribute to trunk bending and twisting movements. The hip flexors and quadriceps are also activated in the legs along with other pelvis and spinal stabilizers.

These muscles enable us to undertake athletic endeavors, where power for running, kicking, and throwing is driven by core strength. Including bicycle crunches in your routine can help improve your overall core stability and improve your athletic performance or functional abilities.

Supports The Spine

Spinal stability is enhanced by key muscles, namely the obliques and deep hip flexors. These core muscles support the spine and are often strengthened to prevent or reduce instances of back pain.

Strong core muscles contribute to maintaining the spine in the correct alignment when we’re in different postures. This allows us to maintain good posture and efficient movement patterns. This helps spread the load of our trunk and limb weight to avoid overloading the spine, resulting in back injuries.

Improves Stability

Core strength allows us to perform complex movements, maintain our posture and balance, and avoid injury. Without core strength, we would struggle to stay upright or protect our spine or internal organs.

Bicycle crunches enhance our balance and stability, leading to better posture and controlled movements. As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, and some older people are more prone to falling over. Without a strong core, we would all be more prone to falls and injuries.

Tones Your Stomach

The aesthetic of having a six-pack or flat stomach is appealing to many people. Bicycle crunches assist with toning the rectus abdominis and obliques, which are two muscles that contribute to stomach tone. The twisting movement targets the obliques, while the rectus abdominis and deep core muscles maintain tension throughout.

Other factors impact whether you can see your toned stomach muscles, such as your body fat percentage. If your goal is to have a six-pack, you will need to eat healthily as well as exercise. Building muscle can help with burning fat, so stick to your training, as consistency will help.

Can Be Performed Anywhere

This is one of the best benefits, as it’s an exercise you can do anywhere. You do not need equipment or a specialist set up to complete this exercise—just a firm surface to lie on. This means you can do it at the gym, at home, or even if you’re traveling.

It’s also a versatile exercise and can be done at different intensities depending on your fitness goals. It’s a great addition to HIIT routines; performed quickly to raise the heart rate. Or use slower, controlled movements to build muscle tension throughout the exercise and strengthen the muscles. 

Tips For Doing Bicycle Crunches

• Maintain the proper form throughout the exercise. Make sure your back remains flat against the floor, your hands behind your head, without pulling on your neck.
• Keep your elbows out to the sides and in line with your ears. This will help you keep your neck straight and maintain correct spine alignment.
• Breathing correctly can help with keeping a steady rhythm and maintaining tension in the muscles throughout. Breathe out as you do each twist and crunch, inhaling in between.
• Engage your core by pulling your naval towards your spine and focusing on the muscles you want to engage. Ensure the twisting occurs from the core and that you are not pulling on your neck to force the movement.
• Do not allow the extended leg to contact the floor. Maintain tension in the quadriceps and hip flexors by pausing slightly at the end of one twist before the next.
• This exercise heavily engages multiple ab muscles, so add ab stretches to your routine afterward to help aid recovery.

Variations 

Here are three variations of bicycle crunches to make the exercise easier or harder. Remember, oblique exercises involve some form of trunk twist movement to deeply engage them, so all of these are relevant.

Bicycle Crunches (Standing)

The basic movement remains the same, but you need dynamic balance to complete it. This position will engage the hip flexors more, as you are lifting the full weight of your leg against gravity.

1. Start standing up with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Looking forward and staying upright, place your hands behind your head. Keep your elbows pointing out to the sides.
3. Tighten your core to maintain the position of your spine.
4. Lift your knee, twist your torso, and bring your opposite elbow towards your knee. Be careful not to pull your head forward.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite knee.

Bicycle Crunches (Seated)

This is the easiest movement, as your legs are likely already flexed and your back is supported in a chair. This variation may make it easier to keep your neck in the right alignment by keeping your head upright. 

1. Sit in an upright position with your feet on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows out to the sides.
3. Tighten your core muscles and lift your knee while rotating the opposite elbow towards it.
4. Slowly return to the starting position and do the same movement on the opposite side.

Kneeling Bird-Dog Crunch

The movement remains the same; however, the position has changed once again, so you are on all fours. This exercise adds a balance element and will really get the core muscles switching on to maintain balance.

1. The starting position is a tabletop position or 4-point kneeling on the floor. This means your hands are in line with your shoulders and your hips are in line with your knees.
2. Tighten your core muscles to maintain a neutral spine, keeping your head in line and looking down at the floor.
3. Extend your right arm forwards, while extending your left leg backward. You will perform the crunch movement by bringing the knee and elbow of the extended limbs together under your torso.
4. Return the arm and leg back to the extended position and repeat the exercise. 

Conclusion

You can achieve the benefits discussed in this guide if you add bicycle crunches to your fitness routine. It’s a great exercise that will support better posture and spinal health, as well as help you tone your abs.

Use the tips in this guide to ensure you perform bicycle crunches in the correct form. The key is engaging your core muscles to maintain a neutral spine. This will help you to avoid injury and get the most effective core workout.

Frequently Asked Questions