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Crunches are an exercise that involves lifting the head and shoulders towards the lower body using abdominal muscles, while keeping the lower back on the ground. Bench crunches use a special bench with extended pads to increase difficulty, and weights can be added for further challenge. The exercise can be performed with hands behind the head or arms crossed over the chest. Beginners should use a lower decline bench, and those with back pain should seek alternative exercises.
The crunch is an exercise performed by lying down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, using your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders and head toward your lower body without lifting your lower back. Crunches differ from sit-ups because the lower back remains in contact with the surface on which the exercise is performed. A bench crunch uses a special bench, usually in decline or upright, to increase the difficulty of the ab exercise. The benches usually include extended pads to keep the feet and legs in place to ensure the effectiveness of the exercise. Sometimes a bench crunch is performed using weights, either a weight plate or a barbell, to further increase its difficulty.
The name crunch originates from the stomach crunch that results from lifting the head and shoulders with the abdominal muscles. Crunches are typically performed with the hands locked behind the head or with the arms crossed over the torso so that the hands lie flat on the upper chest on the opposite side. To perform a proper contraction, the arms should not help lift the head and shoulders.
Either position, hands behind your head or arms across your chest, is effective for use on a sit-up bench. To perform a bench crunch, start with a decline bench. The steeper the drop, the harder the crunch will be, so beginners should make sure to use a bank with a lower decline. Only those with advanced physical fitness should opt for an upright bench due to the difficulty involved in using it. Lie on the bench and lock your feet behind the pads provided, with the ball of your foot pressed against the pads, and follow the same procedure as for a normal crunch.
If crunches aren’t challenging enough, holding a weight plate to your chest provides additional resistance and increases the intensity of your ab workout. A dumbbell can also be held against the chest or, for advanced exercisers, overhead instead of a weight plate. While crunches are an effective exercise for strengthening your abdominal muscles, the crunch movement is potentially bad for your back. If back pain occurs while performing crunches or previous back pain is a problem, an alternative abdominal exercise that does not involve a flexion movement should be sought.
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