What is the difference between a crunch and a reverse crunch?

A standard crunch lifts the upper body toward the pelvis by flexing the spine from above, while a reverse crunch lifts the pelvis toward the chest by flexing from below. The reverse crunch places more emphasis on the lower portion of the rectus abdominis.

Should my feet touch the ground between reps?

Your feet should stay off the ground throughout the set to maintain constant tension in your abs. Allowing your hips to lightly touch the ground between reps is acceptable, but avoid resting completely.

How do I make reverse crunches harder?

You can increase difficulty by slowing down the tempo, pausing longer at the top, or holding a light dumbbell between your knees. Another option is to perform them on a decline bench to increase the range of motion and resistance.

Reverse Crunch

The reverse crunch is a bodyweight core exercise that targets the abs by lifting the hips off the ground while bringing the knees toward the chest. It suits lifters of all levels who want to emphasize the lower portion of the rectus abdominis with minimal equipment.

Muscle group: Core
Primary muscles: abs
Equipment: Bodyweight

How to do the Reverse Crunch

Lie flat on your back with arms at your sides or under your hips for support, legs bent at 90 degrees with feet off the floor.
Engage your core and curl your hips off the ground, bringing your knees toward your chest in a controlled motion.
Pause briefly at the top when your hips are fully lifted and your lower back is off the ground.
Lower your hips back down with control until they lightly touch the ground, maintaining tension in your abs.
Keep your upper back and shoulders flat on the ground throughout the entire movement.

Form tips

Focus on curling your pelvis upward rather than swinging your legs, using your abs to initiate the movement.
Keep the movement slow and controlled in both directions to prevent momentum from taking over.
Exhale as you lift your hips and inhale as you lower them to maintain core tension throughout each rep.

Common mistakes

Swinging the legs for momentum instead of using the abs to curl the hips: this reduces abdominal engagement and turns the exercise into a hip flexor movement.
Letting the lower back arch excessively when lowering down: this places unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine and reduces core activation.
Lifting the head and shoulders off the ground: this shifts tension away from the lower abs and can strain the neck.

Sets and reps

For strength, perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps with controlled tempo, and for hypertrophy, aim for 3 to 5 sets of 12 to 20 reps with a focus on time under tension.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a crunch and a reverse crunch?: A standard crunch lifts the upper body toward the pelvis by flexing the spine from above, while a reverse crunch lifts the pelvis toward the chest by flexing from below. The reverse crunch places more emphasis on the lower portion of the rectus abdominis.
Should my feet touch the ground between reps?: Your feet should stay off the ground throughout the set to maintain constant tension in your abs. Allowing your hips to lightly touch the ground between reps is acceptable, but avoid resting completely.
How do I make reverse crunches harder?: You can increase difficulty by slowing down the tempo, pausing longer at the top, or holding a light dumbbell between your knees. Another option is to perform them on a decline bench to increase the range of motion and resistance.

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