![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c58949d4ded1da2293bfae33dee6ca0d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nWhen you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Running is my main sport, and so when it comes to my strength training, I tend to focus on the areas that will support my running. That means a lot of leg workouts and a lot of core workouts.<\/p>\n
Core strength and stability are important to maintaining your form deep into long races like marathons, so I try to do a couple of core workouts each week. It’s also great for non-runners, of course; I don’t know anyone who couldn’t benefit from building or maintaining their core strength.<\/p>\n
I also like to mix up my workouts and try something new most of the time, and that means after 10 years or so of running and strength training, I\u2019ve tried a lot of core workouts and done a lot of core exercises.<\/p>\n
All of them have value in building strength, but the move that always stands out to me as the most useful and effective core exercise is the bicycle crunch<\/a>.<\/p>\n That means I always add it into core workouts I\u2019m doing if it\u2019s not already there, and if I only have time to hit the floor and do a set of one core move, it\u2019s the bicycle crunch.<\/p>\n How to do the bicycle crunch<\/p>\n Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, hip-width apart<\/p>\n Place your hands lightly behind your head with your elbows out to the sides<\/p>\n Lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor, and bring your legs up to tabletop position<\/p>\n Straighten your left leg away from your body while twisting your torso to bring your left elbow over to your right knee<\/p>\n Then straighten your right leg, bring your left knee back in towards your torso, and twist to take your right elbow over to your left leg<\/p>\n Continue to alternate sides either to hit a certain number of reps or time<\/p>\n Benefits of the bicycle crunch Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n Compared with a standard crunch, which mostly focuses on the upper abs, the bicycle crunch engages many more muscles.<\/p>\n By crunching up, you hit the upper abs while the leg extensions work your lower abs, and the twisting motion engages the obliques as well.<\/p>\n Since you keep your legs and shoulders elevated throughout the movement, it\u2019s also great for your core endurance, working the deep stabilizer muscles in your midsection.<\/p>\n The relatively fast pace of the exercises, even when you\u2019re doing it with control, also gets the heart pumping, I find, making it a better addition to HIIT sessions than some slower abs exercises.<\/p>\n Why I love the bicycle crunch Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n I\u2019m always pushed for time with my workouts, and the bicycle crunch is a really time-effective move, because it works the whole core in one go.<\/p>\n It only takes a few sets of 10-20 reps to really get my core fired up, and if I\u2019m only doing a 10-15 minute workout, I know that inserting the bicycle crunch into it will yield fast results.<\/p>\n I like the twisting motion of the move as well, because it puts the focus on one side of the body at a time, which is similar to running, and I feel like the exercise builds core strength in a way that transfers directly to sports.<\/p>\n The endurance benefits of the move shouldn’t be underrated either. If you do a 60-second set of bicycle crunches, you\u2019re holding a tough position throughout while also twisting your torso and raising your legs.<\/p>\n I also like the fact that it\u2019s a low-impact move that you can do anywhere without any equipment. I\u2019m sure you could increase the difficulty by adding in a resistance band or weights, but the bicycle crunch is hard enough as it is, and you can always progress it by doing more reps or time.<\/p>\n Follow Tom’s Guide fitness<\/a> below!<\/p>\n More from Tom’s Guide![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/95f28f5b5ce70164f76849e481ea53bf.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2efb9e71cb1daa481d09019eef4bb7fe.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n