Crunch
Primary muscles: Abs. Assisting muscles: —.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet on the floor.
- Place your hands lightly beside your head, without interlacing your fingers, elbows out to the sides.
- Press your lower back into the floor and lift only your shoulder blades off the ground, contracting your abs, as you exhale.
- Hold the contraction for one second at the top.
- Lower under control, inhaling, back to the floor.
Key to the execution: The range is small — you lift only your shoulder blades, using the abdominal contraction alone.
Common mistakes
- You pull on your neck with your hands instead of working with your abs.
- You lift your whole torso, not just your shoulder blades, using momentum.
Alternatives: exercises for the same muscles
Log your sets and see your progress
In the PlanSports app you pick the exercise, log weight and reps, and each exercise page shows your best weight and progression. The AI coach puts the exercises into a 4-week program.
Abs exercises › Training programs by sport ›The exercise pages are compiled by PlanSports; if you have an injury or pain, talk to your coach or doctor first.