So, are bicycle crunches effective? If you want a stronger core to improve your athletic performance or help support your back (or both!), the bicycle crunch is a great move that should be incorporated into your exercise program.

Read on to learn more about how to do the bicycle crunch, muscles worked, benefits, form tips, variations and how to add it to your workout routine.

• ‌What are bicycle crunches?‌ Bicycle crunches are a body-weight exercise. To do a bicycle crunch correctly, lie on your back with your hands behind your head (elbows out wide) and rotate your torso as you touch your elbow to your opposite knee, all while your legs move in a pedaling motion. This exercise incorporates both trunk rotation (side-to-side motion) and flexion (the ability to bend forward).
• ‌Who can do bicycle crunches?‌ This move is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to strengthen their obliques and rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle) with one exercise. It's not for everyone, however. "Those that have low back pain or a low back injury or neck pain should typically avoid performing the bicycle crunch exercise," Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, physical therapist and founder of Movement Vault, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
• ‌What muscles do bicycle crunches work?‌ "Bicycle crunches are a core exercise that helps activate and strengthen your rectus abdominis, obliques and hip flexor muscles," Wickham says.