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Exercise guide
Crunches
A basic abdominal exercise focusing on the rectus abdominis.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- rectus abdominis · obliques
- Goals
- hypertrophy
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Category
- Strength
- Difficulty
- beginner
Demonstration
Step 1
Step 2
How to perform the movement
- Lie on your back with knees bent and hands behind your head.
- Curl your upper body toward your knees, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor.
- Squeeze your abs at the top.
- Lower with control.
- Repeat.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands.
- Exhale as you curl up and inhale on the way down.
- Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout.