Crunches | Illustrated Exercise Guide

Primary muscles: Abs
Secondary muscles: Abs
Equipment: No equipment
Exercise for the opposite muscles: Alternating superman

Crunches Instructions

1. Lie down on the mat, keep your knees bent, your back and feet flat, and your hands supporting your head.
2. Lift your shoulders, squeeze your abdominal muscles and hold for 1 to 2 seconds.
3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat until set is complete.

Proper Form And Breathing Pattern

When doing crunches keep your head in a neutral position, with your eyes on the ceiling and the chin off your chest. Breathe out as you crunch, maintain your core muscles tight and engaged, and keep the elbows out.

From the Shop

Exercise Benefits

Crunches target the abdominal muscles and adding them to your workout routine helps to tone and strengthen your core, improves your posture, trims down your waist, and increases your balance and stability.

Crunches Demonstration

Sets And Reps

Start with 2 or 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. You can increase the challenge by doing modified versions of crunches, like roll ups and sit ups. Alternate exercises frequently so that your muscles don’t get accustomed to the same moves.

Calories Burned

To calculate the number of calories burned doing crunches, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:

Related Core Exercises

Try these other core exercises to tighten, sculpt and strengthen your abs, obliques, lats and lower back:
Straight leg raise
Alternating superman
Flutter kicks
Plank

Popular Workouts

Full Body Workout

No-Equipment Full Body Workout

Don’t let time get in the way of your goals! In only 15 minutes you can work your entire body, raise your heart rate and rev your metabolism …

Yoga Flow

Hip Opening Yoga Flow

Improve circulation, agility, and flexibility and ease back pain with this hip opening yoga sequence. Move your hip joint through its entire …

Core Workout

Ab Workout Routine For Women

Trim, tone and sculpt your entire core with this 30 minute Ab Workout Routine for women! 10 strengthening and tightening moves to target …