Reps Only exercise

Crunch form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The crunch is a foundational abdominal exercise in which the shoulder blades curl off the floor through a short range of trunk flexion, directly targeting the rectus abdominis with minimal hip flexor involvement. Lifters use it to accumulate high-rep direct ab volume for hypertrophy and endurance, and its short range keeps stress off the lower back, making it a durable staple that can later be loaded or performed on a decline.

Crunch illustration

How to do Crunch

  1. 1Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands resting lightly behind your ears or crossed over your chest.
  2. 2Press your lower back gently into the floor and brace your core.
  3. 3Exhale as you curl your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor, drawing your ribs toward your pelvis.
  4. 4Do not pull on your neck or yank your elbows forward; the movement should come from your abs, not momentum.
  5. 5Pause briefly at the top with your abs fully contracted, then inhale as you lower your shoulder blades back to the floor under control.

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Track Crunch in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.