10 Best Ab Crunch Machine Alternatives for Ab Strength

The Ab Crunch Machine is done seated with a machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Lever Seated Crunch, the Lever Seated Crunch (Chest Pad) and the Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch.

The station for this exercise is often the busiest seat in the gym, and if it is taken or missing you still need a way to crunch under resistance. The Ab Crunch Machine sits you down with your feet locked under a pad and your arms braced on handles, then asks you to crunch your torso forward as you lift your legs together. The Lever Seated Crunch is the closest swap, done seated against a lever arm instead.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Ab Crunch Machine

Ab Crunch Machine
Primary muscle
Abs
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
How to perform Ab Crunch Machine
  1. Select a light resistance and sit down on the ab machine placing your feet under the pads provided and grabbing the top handles. Your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle as you rest the triceps on the pads provided. This will be your starting position.
  2. At the same time, begin to lift the legs up as you crunch your upper torso. Breathe out as you perform this movement. Tip: Be sure to use a slow and controlled motion. Concentrate on using your abs to move the weight while relaxing your legs and feet.
  3. After a second pause, slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
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Ranked Ab Crunch Machine Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Ab Crunch Machine on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    Lever Seated CrunchPlay demonstration

    1. Lever Seated Crunch

    86% match
    • Abs
    • Lever
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    A good swap when you have a lever machine to work with, and it still works the abs.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the leverage machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
    2. Grasp the handles or place your hands on the side pads for support.
    3. Engage your abs and slowly lean back, allowing the pad to move with you.
    4. Once your upper body is at a 45-degree angle, contract your abs and crunch forward, bringing your chest towards your knees.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
  2. Lever Seated Crunch (Chest Pad)Play demonstration

    2. Lever Seated Crunch (Chest Pad)

    82% match
    • Abs
    • Lever
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Adjust the seat height and chest pad position according to your comfort.
    2. Sit on the machine with your back against the chest pad and your feet flat on the floor.
    3. Grasp the handles or side bars for stability.
    4. Engage your abs and slowly lean back, allowing the chest pad to move with you.
    5. Pause for a moment at the maximum contraction, feeling the tension in your abs.
    6. Slowly return to the starting position by contracting your abs and pulling yourself back up.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
  3. Lever Seated Leg Raise CrunchPlay demonstration

    3. Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch

    82% match
    • Abs
    • Lever
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the leverage machine with your back against the backrest and your feet on the footrests.
    2. Grasp the handles or sidebars for stability.
    3. Engage your abs and slowly raise your legs up towards your chest, curling your torso forward at the same time.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs and torso back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
  4. Band Seated TwistPlay demonstration

    4. Band Seated Twist

    80% match
    • Abs
    • Band
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation

    A good swap when you have a band to work with, and it still works the abs.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your back straight.
    2. Wrap the band around your waist and hold the ends with both hands.
    3. Engage your abs and slowly twist your torso to one side, keeping your back straight and your feet on the ground.
    4. Pause for a moment at the end of the twist, then slowly return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat the twist to the other side.
    6. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a band, not a machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
  5. Knee Touch CrunchPlay demonstration

    5. Knee Touch Crunch

    78% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the abs with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your shoulder blades off the ground and reach your right hand towards your left knee.
    4. Return to the starting position and repeat, this time reaching your left hand towards your right knee.
    5. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  6. Frog CrunchPlay demonstration

    6. Frog Crunch

    77% match
    • Abs
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    3. Engaging your abs, lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  7. Assisted Sit-upPlay demonstration

    7. Assisted Sit-up

    76% match
    • Abs
    • Machine
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    The same equipment, done lying on your back instead.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on the edge of a bench or have someone hold your feet down.
    2. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    3. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing outwards.
    4. Engaging your abs, slowly lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Body position: lying on your back, not seated
  8. Cable Seated CrunchPlay demonstration

    8. Cable Seated Crunch

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Cable
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Sit on a cable machine with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
    2. Hold the cable handle with both hands and position it behind your head.
    3. Engage your abs and slowly curl your upper body forward, bringing your chest towards your knees.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
  9. Band Standing CrunchPlay demonstration

    9. Band Standing Crunch

    75% match
    • Abs
    • Band
    • Beginner
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at waist height.
    2. Stand facing away from the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hold the band with both hands and bring it up to your chest, keeping your elbows bent and close to your body.
    4. Engage your abs and slowly crunch forward, bringing your chest towards your knees.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the crunch, then slowly return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: a band, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, not seated
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Ab Crunch Machine
  10. Seated Barbell Twist

    10. Seated Barbell Twist

    74% match
    • Abs
    • Barbell
    • Intermediate
    • Isolation
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start out by sitting at the end of a flat bench with a barbell placed on top of your thighs. Your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other.
    2. Grip the bar with your palms facing down and make sure your hands are wider than shoulder width apart from each other. Begin to lift the barbell up over your head until your arms are fully extended.
    3. Now lower the barbell behind your head until it is resting along the base of your neck. This is the starting position.
    4. While keeping your feet and head stationary, move your waist from side to side so that your oblique muscles feel the contraction. Only move from side to side as far as your waist will allow you to go. Stretching or moving too far can cause an injury to occur. Tip: Use a slow and controlled motion.
    5. Remember to breathe out while twisting your body to the side and in when moving back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Ab Crunch Machine
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Ab Crunch Machine

Why You Might Need an Ab Crunch Machine Alternative

Swapping out the Ab Crunch Machine usually comes down to one machine and one queue: if it is occupied, or your gym has neither that machine nor a lever machine at all, you need another way to load the same crunch. What you need to keep is the crunch under resistance, whatever supplies it and whichever position you do it in. Cable and band setups swap that fixed stack for a pulley or a stretching band, and a barbell adds a fixed weight you twist against. Training at home with nothing to anchor, the Knee Touch Crunch and the Frog Crunch use only your bodyweight and the floor to work the same abs.

How to Choose the Right Ab Crunch Machine Substitute

If a lever machine is free, the Lever Seated Crunch is the nearest match, sat against a lever arm instead of a pad stack. The Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch keeps the same move, raising your legs while curling forward, and the Lever Seated Crunch (Chest Pad) puts the pad on your chest instead of your back. With a cable stack, the Cable Seated Crunch holds the handle behind your head and curls toward your knees. Have a band: the Band Standing Crunch anchors it at waist height, while the Band Seated Twist needs no anchor, sitting on the floor with the band around your waist to twist side to side, both harder as the band stretches. With nothing, the Knee Touch Crunch and the Frog Crunch work your abs against bodyweight on the floor, suited to a beginner.

Ab Crunch Machine FAQ

Can I train my abs at home with no machine at all?

The Band Seated Twist, the Knee Touch Crunch, the Frog Crunch and the Band Standing Crunch train the same abs without any machine. Two use a resistance band, which builds its hardest pull as it stretches, and the other two use only bodyweight and the floor. Start with the Knee Touch Crunch if you are new to training abs directly.

Which lever machine exercise swaps in for the Ab Crunch Machine?

The Lever Seated Crunch is the top pick when a lever machine is free, sitting and crunching forward against a lever arm like the Ab Crunch Machine's pad stack. The Lever Seated Crunch (Chest Pad) puts the pad on your chest instead of your back, and the Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch also raises your legs as you curl forward, so either one keeps you on the same resistance if your gym has more than one lever station.

What should I do if only a cable machine is free?

The Cable Seated Crunch lets you sit and crunch forward against a cable stack instead of the Ab Crunch Machine's pad. You hold the handle behind your head with both hands and curl your chest toward your knees, so the load hangs from the cable you hold rather than sitting in pads you push against, and the setup stays seated.

How do I make a bodyweight ab swap harder?

Add load. The Cable Seated Crunch lets you set the stack heavier than bodyweight allows and stays a crunch rather than a twist. If you want to stay unloaded instead, add reps to the Knee Touch Crunch or the Frog Crunch before you reach for any equipment at all.

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