The crunch that lights up your whole midsection.
Rotate from your torso, not your arms. Don't yank on your neck.
The pedalling twist makes your midsection flex and rotate at the same time, so the abs that crunch you forward and the obliques that turn you side to side never get to rest between reps. Each elbow-to-knee reach is a small controlled rotation under tension rather than a big swing. It earns its place as a no-equipment staple that trains the waist through movement most crunch variations never touch.
You are pulling your head forward with your hands. Keep the fingertips light behind your ears, lead with your shoulder toward the opposite knee, and let your eyes drift toward the ceiling rather than your knees.
Slow enough that each twist comes from your torso actually rotating, not your elbows flapping. A controlled two-second cycle per side beats frantic pedalling every time, both for tension and for keeping your low back happy.
Through the front of your abs and along the sides of your waist as you rotate. If all you feel is your neck or your hip flexors, slow down, shrink the movement, and focus on curling and twisting the ribcage.
