Abdominal Crunch

The abdominal crunch (also known as the Ab Crunch) is a popular exercise that can be incorporated into any workout routine. Try performing ab crunches at the end of your workout.

Muscles Used

Primary Muscles

Rectus Abdominis

Also known as: Waist (front), Abdominal, Abs

Secondary Muscles

External Oblique, Internal Oblique

Also known as: Waist (sides), Upper Hips

Stabilizer Muscles

None

How to perform the Abdominal Crunch

Technique

Lie on the floor with your legs bent, your feet flat on the floor. If you prefer, you can keep your legs bent at a 90 degree angle so that the bottom of your feet are vertical.
Place your hands on the back of your head, or if you prefer, cross them over your chest.
Lift your shoulder blades off the ground moving your elbows towards your knees. Don't try to lift your whole back - just your shoulder blades.
Squeeze your abs for a second.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat steps 3 - 5 until you've completed the desired number of reps.

Number of Reps

3 sets of 25 reps. Try adding weight if you find this too easy and you're trying to build muscle size/strength, or, if you're not trying to build muscle size, just increase the number of reps.