Crunches

How to do the Crunches

1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch.
2. Now place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Tip: Don't lock your fingers behind your head.
3. While pushing the small of your back down in the floor to better isolate your abdominal muscles, begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.
4. Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back as you contract your abdominals and exhale. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. At the top of the movement, contract your abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second. Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum.
5. After the one second contraction, begin to come down slowly again to the starting position as you inhale.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	abs
Equipment	no equipment
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

Train the same muscles a different way

6 alternatives for the same abs, with and without kit.

Dumbbell Side Bend Dumbbell Exercise Ball Crunch Exercise Ball Weighted Ball Side Bend Exercise Ball Spell Caster Dumbbell Weighted Crunches Medicine Ball Barbell Side Bend Barbell

Harder than the Crunches

Hanging Pike expert · Bodyweight Bent Press expert · Kettlebell Barbell Ab Rollout - On Knees expert · Barbell

Superset the Crunches with

Opposing lower back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench lower back Hyperextensions (Back Extensions) lower back Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning lower back Barbell Deadlift lower back

Common questions

What muscles does the Crunches work?

The Crunches primarily works the abs. Ab Crunch Machine, Alternate Heel Touchers, and Barbell Side Bend train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Crunches?

None — the Crunches is bodyweight, so it works at home, in a hotel room or outdoors. Ab Crunch Machine and Alternate Heel Touchers also need nothing.

Is the Crunches suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Crunches is rated beginner. Hanging Pike, Bent Press, and Barbell Ab Rollout - On Knees are the progressions from here.

Where should the Crunches go in a workout?

Late — the Crunches is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench and Hyperextensions (Back Extensions) cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

Ab Crunch Machine Machine Alternate Heel Touchers Bodyweight Barbell Side Bend Barbell Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends Cable Machine Cable Crunch Cable Machine Cable Reverse Crunch Cable Machine