Weighted Crunches

How to do the Weighted 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.
2. Hold a weight to your chest, or you may hold it extended above your torso. This will be your starting position.
3. Now, exhale and slowly begin to roll your shoulders off the floor. Your shoulders should come up off the floor about 4 inches while your lower back remains on the floor.
4. At the top of the movement, flex your abdominals and hold for a brief pause.
5. Then inhale and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	abs
Equipment	medicine ball
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

No medicine ball? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Alternate Heel Touchers Bodyweight Crunch - Hands Overhead Bodyweight Crunch - Legs On Exercise Ball Bodyweight Crunches Bodyweight Decline Crunch Bodyweight Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise Bodyweight

Harder than the Weighted Crunches

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

Superset the Weighted Crunches with

Opposing lower back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

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

Common questions

What muscles does the Weighted Crunches work?

The Weighted 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 Weighted Crunches?

A Medicine Ball. Without a medicine ball, Alternate Heel Touchers, Crunch - Hands Overhead, and Crunch - Legs On Exercise Ball train the same muscle, and 45 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Weighted Crunches suitable for beginners?

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

Where should the Weighted Crunches go in a workout?

Late — the Weighted Crunches is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Hyperextensions (Back Extensions) and Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning 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