What's a good starting rep count for the corkscrew?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 total spirals (4 per side), keeping the range small and legs together throughout. Grow the range gradually as control improves, and only add reps once both sides feel evenly worked.

How can I scale the corkscrew up or down?

To make it easier, bend the knees slightly to shorten the lever, or reduce how far you spiral the hips to each side. To make it harder, keep the legs fully straight and press them together throughout, or slow the tempo down to remove any help from momentum.

Who is the corkscrew good for, and when is it not the right choice?

It blends lower-ab flexion with oblique rotation in one rep, useful for anyone building rotational core strength for sport or general conditioning. Skip it if you have lower back pain when your legs are extended overhead, since that starting position loads the low back before the movement even begins.

Intermediate

Corkscrew

The corkscrew adds rotation to the reverse crunch: as you curl the pelvis up you spiral the hips to one side, blending lower-ab flexion with oblique rotation. That twist trains the abs to control the pelvis in more than one plane, which carries over to athletic movement. Keep the legs together and the motion smooth so the obliques do the steering.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Lower Rectus Abdominals, Abdominal External Oblique
Browse by movement: Rotation, Spinal Flexion

How to do it

1
Lie on your back with legs extended up toward the ceiling and arms flat for support.
2
Press your lower back down and keep your legs together.
3
Curl your pelvis off the floor while rotating your hips toward one side.
4
Lift on that diagonal until the hips clear the floor, then reverse.
5
Lower with control and repeat the spiral toward the other side.
6
Exhale as you curl and twist, inhale as you return.

Tips

Drive the lift from the abs, not from swinging the legs across.
Keep the range honest; a small clean spiral beats a big sloppy one.
Alternate sides evenly so both obliques share the load.

Variations

Common mistakes

The legs drift apart as the hips curl and spiral, losing the together position that keeps the load centered on the abs.
The shoulders and arms press hard into the floor to launch the hips up, borrowing lift from the upper body instead of the lower abs.
The knees bend to shorten the legs and make the lift easier instead of staying long, taking length and difficulty out of the lever.
The breath gets reversed, exhaling on the way down and holding on the way up, instead of matching the exhale to the curl.
Rushing from one side straight into the other without a full reset carries momentum from the last rep into the next one.

Frequently asked

What's a good starting rep count for the corkscrew?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 total spirals (4 per side), keeping the range small and legs together throughout. Grow the range gradually as control improves, and only add reps once both sides feel evenly worked.
How can I scale the corkscrew up or down?: To make it easier, bend the knees slightly to shorten the lever, or reduce how far you spiral the hips to each side. To make it harder, keep the legs fully straight and press them together throughout, or slow the tempo down to remove any help from momentum.
Who is the corkscrew good for, and when is it not the right choice?: It blends lower-ab flexion with oblique rotation in one rep, useful for anyone building rotational core strength for sport or general conditioning. Skip it if you have lower back pain when your legs are extended overhead, since that starting position loads the low back before the movement even begins.

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