Weighted Crunch (VERSION 2)

How to do the Weighted Crunch (VERSION 2)

1. 1Lie flat on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. 2Hold a weight plate or dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight overhead, keeping them close to your ears — they stay in this extended position for the entire set.
3. 3Brace your core and press your lower back gently into the mat to establish a stable starting position.
4. 4Exhale and curl your shoulders and upper back off the floor, leading with your chest — not your chin — while keeping your arms fully extended and the weight reaching toward the ceiling.
5. 5Continue curling until your shoulder blades are fully off the floor and you feel maximum contraction in your rectus abdominis.
6. 6Hold the top position for one count, squeezing your abs hard.
7. 7Inhale and slowly lower your upper back back to the floor under control, resisting the pull of the weight throughout the descent.
8. 8Reset your core brace before beginning the next rep.

Form tips

• Keep your arms locked straight and close to your ears for every rep — any bend at the elbow shortens the moment arm and reduces the demand on your abs.
• Control the lowering phase deliberately; the eccentric (descent) under a long moment arm provides a significant portion of the stimulus, so resist the weight rather than letting it drop.
• Start lighter than you expect to need — the extended-arm position multiplies the effective load on your core considerably compared to holding weight on your chest.
• Focus on curling your ribcage toward your pelvis rather than jerking your head and neck forward.
• Keep your feet flat and avoid anchoring them under a fixed object if you want to isolate the abs rather than recruit the hip flexors.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the weight with momentum — a fast, jerky crunch bypasses the abs and transfers stress to the neck and lower back, reducing effectiveness and raising injury risk.
• Bending the elbows as the set gets harder — this shortens the lever arm and defeats the purpose of the extended-arm variation; the arms must stay locked out throughout.
• Leading with the chin rather than the chest — pulling the head forward compresses the cervical spine instead of flexing the trunk, shifting the work away from the rectus abdominis.
• Using too much weight too soon — an oversized load causes the hip flexors to take over and arches the lower back off the mat, removing tension from the target muscle.
• Rushing through the eccentric — lowering the weight quickly wastes the highest-tension portion of the rep and significantly reduces the total training stimulus on the abs.

Frequently asked questions