- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternCore
- Reps10 to 30 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hands lightly beside your head or across your chest.
First cueBring the ribs toward the pelvis.
How to do the Crunch
Set up. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hands lightly beside your head or across your chest.
- Curl your shoulders off the floor by contracting your stomach.
- Pause briefly.
- Lower slowly.
Form cues
- Bring the ribs toward the pelvis.
- Keep the neck relaxed.
- Keep the lower back on the floor.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on the head with the hands.
- Sitting all the way up with momentum.
Muscles worked
Main target: Abs. The rectus abdominis runs down the front of the trunk. It curls the trunk forward and, more often in training, stops the spine arching under a load.
On the way: Obliques.
Its other side: Lower back, in the trunk pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Crunch, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Back Extension Superset partner: it trains the other side of the trunk pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Russian Twist Often left out: it trains the obliques, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Crunch first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Crunch 3 × 10 to 30 reps
- Back Extension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Russian Twist 3 × 12 to 30 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise 3 × 6 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Gym or cable swap
Machine Crunch
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Decline Sit-Up and McGill Curl-Up.
Do before it: Dead Bug (bracing).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Crunch is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Crunch?
Set up: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hands lightly beside your head or across your chest. Steps: 1. Curl your shoulders off the floor by contracting your stomach. 2. Pause briefly. 3. Lower slowly. Form cues: Bring the ribs toward the pelvis. Keep the neck relaxed. Keep the lower back on the floor. Common mistakes: Pulling on the head with the hands. Sitting all the way up with momentum.
What muscles does the Crunch work?
It trains the abs as its main target and works the obliques on the way.
What can I do instead of the Crunch?
In a gym: Machine Crunch. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Crunch with?
Good partners in the same workout are Back Extension and Russian Twist.