Weighted Oblique Crunch (on Bench)

The weighted oblique crunch is a rotational ab exercise: lying on a bench with your knees bent, you hold a single weight over your chest with both hands and turn your torso to one side, then the other, keeping the abs braced throughout. The load in your hands lengthens the lever arm, so the internal and external obliques have to work far harder than in a bodyweight twist to control the rotation in both directions. Is it a beginner move? Not really. Coordinating the turn while your arms hold a weight above your chest takes a base of core strength, which is why it fits intermediate and advanced lifters. Start light: a weight you can control for ten to twelve reps per side, moving slowly enough that the rotation comes from your midsection and not from swinging your arms, teaches more than a heavier load ever will.