Core / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Crunch with Legs on Bench

A crunch performed with the calves resting on a bench, which limits hip-flexor involvement and targets the abs.

At a glance

Primary

Abs

Secondary

Obliques

Equipment

Bench

Movement pattern

Trunk flexion

Level

Beginner

Type

Core, Isolation (single joint)

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your calves resting on a bench, hips and knees bent at about 90 degrees.
2. Place your hands lightly behind your head or across your chest.
3. Curl your shoulders and upper back off the floor by contracting the abs.
4. Pause at the top, then lower slowly back down.

Tips

• Do not pull on your head or neck.
• Exhale as you crunch up.
• Keep the lower back in contact with the floor.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Pulling on the head with the hands.

  Why it hurts: The neck flexes hard under the arm pull and gets strained.

  ✓ Instead: Touch the fingertips lightly behind the ears or cross the arms on the chest and look at the ceiling.

• ✗ Doing hundreds of fast reps.

  Why it hurts: Repeated fast spinal flexion can irritate the discs, especially for people with a history of back pain.

  ✓ Instead: Do fewer, slower reps and mix in anti-movement core work such as planks and dead bugs.

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