A crunch is a short supine spinal-flexion movement that raises the shoulders off the floor to contract the abdominals (rectus abdominis). It uses a small range of motion to focus on the midline core muscles.
How to do the Crunch#
- Lie on your back with knees bent about 90° and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hands lightly at your temples or cross them over your chest while keeping your neck neutral.
- Exhale and curl your ribcage toward your pelvis, lifting only your shoulder blades a few inches off the mat.
- Hold the top position briefly while keeping tension in your abdominal wall.
- Inhale and lower slowly until your shoulders return to the floor, then repeat for reps.
Muscles worked#
Common mistakes#
- Pulling the head forward with your hands.
- Using momentum or throwing the torso up instead of a controlled curl.
- Lifting the lower back off the mat.
- Holding your breath during the movement.
