Crunch (on bench)
Elevating your legs on a bench during crunches removes momentum and hip-flexor assistance, putting more of the work directly on the abs.
Equipment
Bodyweight (bench)
Difficulty
beginner
Sets & reps
3 sets · 15-20 reps
Muscles worked
Abs
A crunch performed with your legs elevated on a bench, isolating the upper abs more directly than a floor crunch.
How to do it
- Lie on the floor with your calves resting on a bench, knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Place your hands lightly behind your head or crossed over your chest.
- Curl your shoulders and upper back off the floor, engaging your abs.
- Squeeze at the top of the movement.
- Lower back down under control without fully relaxing between reps.
Coaching tips
- Keep the range of motion short and controlled — this is about ab contraction, not distance traveled.
- Exhale as you crunch up to engage the abs more fully.
- Elevating the legs removes some hip-flexor assistance, isolating the abs more than a standard crunch.
Common mistakes
- Pulling on the neck with the hands instead of using the abs to lift.
- Using a large, fast range of motion instead of a controlled, focused crunch.
Frequently asked questions
Why elevate the legs for crunches?
It stabilizes the lower body and removes some hip-flexor involvement, forcing the abdominal muscles to do more of the actual work.
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