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abdominals

Crunch

Lying on your back with your knees bent, you curl your head and shoulders up toward your knees. The basic exercise for the front of your stomach.

beginnermat

Crunch, start position
START
Crunch, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START1
  1. Find a flat spot; a mat makes it more comfortable.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
  2. Put your hands lightly behind your head or cross them on your chest.
  3. Press your lower back gently into the floor.

Check: Your knees are bent, your feet are flat, and your lower back is touching the floor.

Curl up

  1. Tighten your stomach and curl your head and shoulders up off the floor. Think of bringing your ribs toward your hips, not your head to your knees.
  2. Stop when your shoulder blades are off the floor and hold for a second.

Check: Your shoulder blades are off the floor, your lower back is still on it, and your chin is not tucked into your chest.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower your shoulders slowly back to the floor.

Check: Your shoulders are back on the floor and your stomach is still slightly tight.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; pause; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Crunch: muscles worked, front view
Crunch: muscles worked, back view

abs

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Pulling on your head with your hands. Strains the neck. Fix: Keep your hands light behind your head or on your chest; your stomach does the lifting.
  • Sitting all the way up. Fix: Only the shoulder blades leave the floor; the lower back stays down.
  • Jerking up fast. Fix: Curl up slowly and lower even more slowly.
SAFETY1
  • Stop if your neck hurts; cross your hands on your chest instead of behind your head.
RELATED EXERCISES

harder: long arm crunch, crunch machine, rope ab pulldown

variants: oblique crunch, bent knee reverse crunch

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