Exercises Coverage check Guides Pricing Start free
Sign in

Machine Crunch

Machine Crunch trains 2 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Abs 90%, Obliques 20%.

Accessory Level: Beginner Machines Push Easy on the lower backEasy on the kneesNo load on the spineEasy on the shoulders

Machine Crunch - Start position
Start position
Machine Crunch - Finish position
Finish position

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine and hook your arms over the pads or grip the handles.
  2. Set the seat so the pivot is at your waist.
  3. Crunch forward by rounding your upper back, not by folding at the hips.
  4. Squeeze at the bottom, then return under control.
  5. The machine lets you load abs progressively, which bodyweight crunches cannot.

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 Obliques 10 points lower. It needs Machines where the other uses Cable machine. Compared with the Turkish Get-Up, it loads Front delts 65 points lower, Side delts 55 points lower, Obliques 50 points lower. It needs Machines where the other uses Kettlebells.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Abs

Related guides

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

Know what your whole week misses, not just one exercise

These percentages are what the app adds up. Tick what you already train and see which muscle groups your routine leaves short - free, no signup.

Check my coverage