Why a Pilates Trainer Says to Replace Bicycle Crunches for the Criss-Cross
Your obliques are the muscles along the sides of your torso that help create a fully shredded midsection. When people think about training them, popular exercises like bicycle crunches often come to mind first. While you can't deny the burn, bicycle crunches can turn into momentum-driven movements while putting excess strain on the neck. If that sounds familiar, one Pilates move may be a smarter alternative: the criss-cross.
While it looks similar to a bicycle crunch at first glance, the criss-cross is slower and more controlled, allowing for better muscle engagement and deeper core activation. It fires up the obliques, rotational core muscles, and deep stabilizers of the trunk without relying on speed and jerking motions.
"Rotational strength often gets overlooked in traditional workouts, but it becomes increasingly important for middle-aged men who want to maintain athletic movement, spinal mobility, and functional strength," says Nicole Hernandez, a certified Pilates instructor and co-founder of Online Pilates Pros Studio.
How to Do Pilates Criss-Cross
- Lie on your back with knees bent in tabletop position.
- Bring your hands behind your head, fingers interlaced. Lift the head, neck, and shoulders off the mat.
- Rotate the torso so your right elbow moves toward your left knee while extending your right leg out long.
- Slowly return to the starting position, then switch sides
What Are the Benefits?
Rotational strength is incredibly important for how the body moves in both everyday life and during athletic performance. The obliques help rotate and stabilize the torso during daily activities and sports like golf and tennis. The criss-cross challenges those muscles, all without relying on momentum or placing excessive strain on the neck and lower back.
"Cross-body movement patterns also challenge coordination between the upper and lower body, which helps improve body awareness and reinforces controlled movement rather than simply rushing through repetitions," Hernandez says.
Tips, Modifications, and Progressions
To master the criss-cross, Hernandez cues a focus on rotating through the rib cage rather than pulling on the neck. Try to keep the hips steady to isolate the obliques and prevent the movement from becoming excessively hip-driven.
For a modification, keep both knees bent with legs at a tabletop position. Focus on a slow, controlled rotation through the torso. Once you feel like a pro, you can increase the challenge by going even slower through the reps or adding brief pauses at the end of each twist. You could also add light resistance like ankle weights or a small medicine ball to increase core demand.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:32 PM.