Crunch
A floor-based trunk curl that lifts the shoulder blades without lifting the lower back.
This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.
- Pattern
- Trunk flexion
- Modality
- Calisthenics
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Mechanic
- Unknown
- Force
- Unknown
- Laterality
- Bilateral
- Impact
- Low
- Trains where
- Gym, Home
- At home
- Yes
How to do it
Set up
- Lie on your back with bent knees, feet flat, and hands clear of the neck.
Do the rep
- Curl your upper trunk until the shoulder blades lift from the floor.
- Lower the shoulder blades with control.
What counts as a rep
A rep counts when both shoulder blades clear the floor and return while the lower back stays down.
One rep lifts both shoulder blades clear of the floor while the lower back stays down, then ends when the shoulder blades return.
Breathing
Exhale as the shoulder blades lift; inhale as they lower.
Cues
- Curl the ribs up
- Keep the neck relaxed
- Lower slowly
Common mistakes
Pulling the head forward
What you seeThe chin moves toward the chest before the trunk curls.
FixKeep space under the chin and lift from the upper trunk.
Lifting from the trunk avoids using the hands to pull the neck.
Lifting the lower back
What you seeThe lower back peels from the floor as the trunk rises.
FixUse a smaller curl and keep the lower back supported.
Keeping the lower back down limits the movement to a controlled trunk curl.
Stop the set if
- Stop if you feel sharp pain.
- Stop if you must pull the head or use momentum to lift the shoulder blades.
- End the set when you cannot meet the stated range under control.
General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.
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