10 Best Reverse Crunch Alternatives for Core Strength

The Reverse Crunch is done lying on your back. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Flat Bench Leg Pull-in, the Sit-up and the Exercise Ball Crunch. Three harder versions, the Lying Leg-hip Raise, the Arms Overhead Full Sit-up and the Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Seven of the ten swaps need just floor space, two use a flat bench with your legs off the end, and one trades the floor for a stability ball, so equipment is rarely the issue. The Flat Bench Leg Pull-in is the closest option: legs start straight out, then knees bend and pull in until they are near your chest, the same finish the Reverse Crunch reaches. The Butt-ups run the same knees-to-chest lift, starting each rep with your feet flat on the floor for a reset between reps.

Reverse CrunchWatch the Reverse Crunch

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Reverse Crunch

The steps for the Reverse Crunch itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Abs, with hip flexors · Bodyweight · Beginner · Isolation

  1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended along your sides.
  2. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, bringing your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
  3. Contract your abs and curl your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Reverse Crunch Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Reverse Crunch on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Flat Bench Leg Pull-in

    1. Flat Bench Leg Pull-in

    99% match

    Abs · Beginner · Isolation

    It uses the same equipment and still works the abs.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on an exercise mat or a flat bench with your legs off the end.
    2. Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench (or with palms down by the side on an exercise mat). Also extend your legs straight out. This will be your starting position.
    3. Bend your knees and pull your upper thighs into your midsection as you breathe out. Continue this movement until your knees are near your chest. Hold the contracted position for a second.
    4. As you breathe in, slowly return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount 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 Reverse Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Reverse Crunch
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Reverse Crunch

  2. 2. Sit-up

    99% match

    Abs · Beginner · Isolation

  3. Lying Leg-hip RaisePlay demonstration

    Progression

    3. Lying Leg-hip Raise

    99% match

    Abs · Intermediate · Isolation

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the abs.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides.
    2. Place your hands under your glutes for support.
    3. Engage your core and lift your legs off the ground, raising them towards the ceiling.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your legs back down 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 Reverse Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Reverse Crunch
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Reverse Crunch
  4. Exercise Ball Crunch

    4. Exercise Ball Crunch

    96% match

    Abs · Beginner · Isolation

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

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on an exercise ball with your lower back curvature pressed against the spherical surface of the ball. Your feet should be bent at the knee and pressed firmly against the floor. The upper torso should be hanging off the top of the ball. The arms should either be kept alongside the body or crossed on top of your chest as these positions avoid neck strains (as opposed to the hands behind the back of the head position).
    2. Lower your torso into a stretch position keeping the neck stationary at all times. This will be your starting position.
    3. With the hips stationary, flex the waist by contracting the abdominals and curl the shoulders and trunk upward until you feel a nice contraction on your abdominals. The arms should simply slide up the side of your legs if you have them at the side or just stay on top of your chest if you have them crossed. The lower back should always stay in contact with the ball. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second.
    4. As you inhale, go back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount 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 Reverse Crunch
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Reverse Crunch
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Reverse Crunch
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Reverse Crunch

Why You Might Need a Reverse Crunch Alternative

The Reverse Crunch asks for nothing more than floor space, so a swap here rarely means equipment. You lie on your back, bend your knees and curl your hips until your knees near your chest. Three of the ten keep that lift; the rest curl the torso up with hips still or raise straight legs, working the abs from the other end. The Lying Leg-hip Raise makes it harder: hands under your glutes, straight legs raised toward the ceiling. The Half Sit-up curls the torso to a 45-degree angle, hands behind your head. The Arms Overhead Full Sit-up is different: feet flat, arms overhead, torso curled up to sitting. The Exercise Ball Crunch is the exception: it swaps the floor for a stability ball, curving under your spine.

How to Choose the Right Reverse Crunch Substitute

Start with the Flat Bench Leg Pull-in for the truest swap: legs out straight, knees bend and pull in until near your chest, on a mat or bench. When that feels too easy, move to the Lying Leg-hip Raise: hands under your glutes, lift straight legs toward the ceiling, a longer lever for your abs. For the same lift with a reset between reps, the Butt-ups start feet flat on the floor and finish tucked. The Frog Sit-ups are just as gentle, but curl the torso with soles pressed together instead. Want a different feel? The Exercise Ball Crunch is worth finding a ball for: your lower back rests on its curve, hips stay still, and you curl shoulders and trunk up from a stretch, working the abs from the top end.

Reverse Crunch FAQ

Can I do the Reverse Crunch at home?

Yes. The Reverse Crunch and seven of its ten alternatives need nothing more than floor space. The Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise is done on a bench with your legs off the end. The Flat Bench Leg Pull-in works on an exercise mat as well as a bench, so it swaps in without buying anything. Only the Exercise Ball Crunch calls for a stability ball, and even that is common home-gym kit.

Which Reverse Crunch alternative uses a stability ball?

The Exercise Ball Crunch. Your lower back rests on the curve of the ball with your feet on the floor, your hips stay still, and you curl your shoulders and trunk up from a stretched position, so it works the abs from the top down rather than curling the hips up like the Reverse Crunch. If a ball is not on hand yet, the Flat Bench Leg Pull-in needs only a mat or a bench and keeps the knees-to-chest finish.

Which alternative suits someone just starting out?

The Butt-ups are a close match: you start with your feet flat on the floor, lift your legs and bring your knees toward your chest, then lower back down. The Frog Sit-ups are beginner level too, though they curl the torso up with soles pressed together instead of curling the hips. The Flat Bench Leg Pull-in stays close to the Reverse Crunch itself: legs start straight, knees bend and pull in until they are near your chest.

How do I make the Reverse Crunch harder without buying equipment?

The Tuck Crunch keeps the knees-to-chest lift and adds a shoulder curl at the same time, so your abs work from both ends with nothing but the floor. The Lying Leg-hip Raise keeps you on the floor but raises straight legs toward the ceiling with your hands under your glutes, a longer lever than the bent-knee curl.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.