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Crunches

Crunches trains 2 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Abs 70%, Obliques 15%.

Accessory Level: Beginner Bodyweight Pull Easy on the lower backEasy on the kneesNo load on the spineEasy on the shoulders

Crunches - Start position
Start position
Crunches - Finish position
Finish position

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
  2. Put your hands beside your head without pulling on your neck.
  3. Curl your shoulder blades off the floor by rounding your upper back.
  4. Squeeze at the top, then lower under control.
  5. Lift about 30 degrees. Coming all the way up to your knees is hip flexor work, not abs.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

How it compares

Compared with the Cable Crunch, it loads Abs 20 points lower, Obliques 15 points lower. It needs Bodyweight where the other uses Cable machine. Compared with the Lying Windshield Wipers, it loads Obliques 65 points lower.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Abs

Related guides

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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