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Exercise 0277 · REF 9Ap7miY

Decline Crunch exercise animation

Decline Crunch

Category
Waist
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Abs

Angling the torso downward on a decline bench adds resistance to the crunch through gravity alone, no extra load needed. It's a natural progression once bodyweight floor crunches stop being challenging, since steeper declines keep scaling the difficulty without changing the movement pattern. Anchoring the feet well is worth getting right, or the hip flexors start doing more of the lifting than intended.

How to Do the Decline Crunch

  1. Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
  3. Engage your abs and lift your upper body towards your knees, curling your torso.
  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.

Muscles Worked

The Decline Crunch primarily targets the Abs, with Hip Flexors as the primary synergist muscle group.

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Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same abs with different equipment.

Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted Hanging Knee Raise Assisted · Abs Assisted Motion Russian Twist Assisted Motion Russian Twist Medicine Ball · Abs Band Alternating V-Up Band Alternating V-Up Band · Abs Barbell Press Sit-Up Barbell Press Sit-Up Barbell · Abs

FAQ

What muscles does the Decline Crunch work?
The Decline Crunch primarily targets the abs, with the hip flexors as the main supporting muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Decline Crunch?
The Decline Crunch is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the Decline Crunch?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Assisted Hanging Knee Raise targets the same abs using assisted instead.