Ab Roller Crunch

How to do the Ab Roller Crunch

1. 1Sit on the floor and position the ab roller cradle behind your head, resting your neck and the back of your head against its padded support.
2. 2Lie back and grip the handles on either side of the frame so your head stays cradled and your neck stays neutral.
3. 3Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.
4. 4Brace your core and press your lower back into the floor to set your starting position.
5. 5Curl your shoulders and upper back up off the floor, rocking the cradle forward as you crunch toward your knees.
6. 6Squeeze your rectus abdominis hard at the top, keeping the movement driven by your abs rather than your arms or neck.
7. 7Lower under control back to the start, letting the cradle rock back without resting your shoulder blades fully down.
8. 8Complete your reps, keeping each one slow and controlled, then set the frame aside.

Form tips

• Let the cradle support the weight of your head so your neck stays relaxed and the work stays in your abs.
• Exhale and pull your ribs toward your hips as you crunch up to maximize rectus abdominis contraction.
• Move slowly in both directions instead of using momentum to rock the frame.
• Keep your lower back lightly pressed into the floor throughout to protect your spine and keep tension on the core.

Common mistakes

• Pulling on the handles with your arms to lift yourself, which shifts work away from the abs and makes the rep easier than it should be.
• Yanking with the neck instead of letting the cradle support it, which can strain the cervical spine.
• Using momentum to swing the cradle up and down, which removes tension from the rectus abdominis.
• Lifting the whole back off the floor like a sit-up rather than crunching the shoulders up, which reduces direct ab tension and stresses the hip flexors.

Frequently asked questions