Crunch (Abdominals)

The crunch is a bodyweight isolation exercise which builds muscle and strength in the abdominals. Now, the abdominals, or abs make up the majority of the core muscles and they are very important for stabilization, bending, weight training, and many other daily functions. Which means they require a lot of hard training to develop further.

But, the crunch is a great way to target these muscles and it’s a very old school exercise which is still used for developing a strong and impressive core. The crunch is as simple as it gets for an ab exercise and there are so many variations that you’ll never get bored.

So, include some crunches in your ab routine if you want to improve your midsection.

In This Exercise:

• Target Muscle Group: Rectus Abdominis
• Type: Strength
• Mechanics: Isolation
• Equipment: Floor Mat
• Difficulty: Beginner

Exercise Instructions

1. Lie flat on the floor and bend your knees so your feet are flat.
2. Then, place your hands by the sides of your head or anywhere comfortable for you.
3. Now, tighten your core and flex your abs forward while lifting your head and torso slightly off the floor. Exhale during this portion of the exercise.
4. Hold for 2 seconds.
5. Lower your head back down on the back but keep your core tight. Inhale during this portion of the exercise.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Variations & Tips:

• Lie on your sides to target the obliques.
• Lift your legs toward your abs and crunch at the same time to target both the upper and lower abdominals.
• Do not pull on your head during the exercise.
• Keep your core tight while you crunch.
• The crunch works all core muscles including the obliques secondarily.

Watch: How to do the crunch