How to do the Crunch
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your hands on your chest or lightly behind your head without pulling on your neck.
Lift your upper back off the floor by contracting your abs.
Lower slowly without fully resting your head.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 2–4 | 10–15 | 45 s |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 45 s |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a rep or a harder variation next session.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Primary
The abs flex your spine and stop it from arching. Mix crunching moves (crunches, leg raises) with anti-extension work (planks, rollouts).
Alternatives
Same muscles, similar movement: swap in one of these if the Crunch doesn’t suit your gym or your joints.
Train smarter
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- 4 day workout split: best options and a full programWhich 4 day workout split is best? Upper/lower, full body, torso/limbs and bro splits compared in brief, then a complete 4-day program with sets and reps.
