Twist and crunch, obliques say hi.
Lead with your shoulder turning, don't yank your head with your hands.
This crunch layers a deliberate rotation onto the classic curl-up, so the obliques share every rep with the abs running down the front. Lowering fully under control between sides means your core also resists gravity on the way down, doubling the useful work per rep. It needs no kit and next to no space, so there is never an excuse to skip it.
Slow the lowering phase, pause at the point of contact, or hold the top for a beat before switching sides. Once those are easy, holding a light weight at your chest is the next progression.
Keep the feet planted and let the elbow do the travelling, as the setup intends. Dragging the knee in tends to tip your hips and turn the twist into a rock.
Work in ranges where the last few reps burn but the rotation stays sharp on both sides. When the twist shrinks into a head nod, the set is done no matter what the counter says.
