The weighted crunch is an abdominal exercise that increases resistance to strengthen the abs and obliques. It is performed lying on your back, holding a weight on your chest, and curling your upper body upward.
Also Works
Obliques
How to Perform
1
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2
Hold a weight plate or dumbbell on your chest.
3
Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, curling forward until your shoulder blades are off the ground.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Hold the weight plate or dumbbell against your upper chest, not behind your head, to avoid neck strain.
•Focus on curling your ribcage toward your pelvis rather than just lifting your head and shoulders.
•Exhale forcefully at the top of the crunch to maximize abdominal contraction.
Common Mistakes
•Pulling on the weight to create momentum instead of using the abs to initiate the crunch.
•Sitting all the way up into a full situp, which shifts the load to the hip flexors and away from the abs.
•Holding the weight behind the head, which strains the neck and creates a leverage disadvantage.