08/31/2026
Crunches and sit-ups barely touch your obliques but hanging leg side bends do!
It's a little different from a side crunch in that this is a bottom-to-top movement, with the legs curling upward instead of the shoulder moving toward the hip.
Directions: Hang from the bar with legs together and think about driving your hip up toward your shoulder. I use the barbell behind me to limit momentum and also take a 1 second pause before each rep instead of swinging back and forth.
This isn't your typical flexion and extension core work. This is lateral flexion. Most people train the front of their core all day but leave the sides weak which can lead to muscle imbalances down the road.