See All Types Of Crunch Exercises

What is a Crunch Exercise?

It is basically an abdominal exercise and its major work is to make rectus abdominal muscles stronger. It is performed by lying on the floor while facing up with bent knees, curled shoulders to the pelvis and crossed hands over chest.

Proper Crunches

Crunch exercise is performed in a number of different ways, but the proper way to perform it is to lie down straight on the floor with face up and hands crossed over to the chest. However, variations can be added with this proper form to increase intensity.

man performing crunches on floor

Types of Crunches

There are various types such as reverse, twist, bicycle, vertical, long arm, etc. All of the types are target to improve abdominal muscles.

Bicycle Crunches

The researches show that it is one of the best abdominal exercises to alleviate rectus abdominus muscles. In this one, you don’t have to use an actual bicycle, but you use a motion like you are cycling while lying on floor.

Side Crunches

It is considered to be a high intensity workout that involves muscles found side to the abdominal area; these muscles are also called obliques.

Cable Crunches

It is low impact but can be very effective for your abdominal muscles. This one is considered to be quite helpful in strengthening abs.

AB Crunches

If you want to know something that can actually help you tighten abdominal muscles, you may not find anything better than AB Crunches which can be done at a fitness club as well as at your home with complete privacy.

Weighted Crunches

Abdominal strengthening exercises are the most important part of someone’s muscles building program and the best way to do so is to perform weighted crunches, for which you just need to arrange dumbbells or weight free disk.
Double Crunches

This one exclusively works with upper and lower abs along with improvement in rectus abdominus. It is the combination of upper body and reverse crunches.

Standing Crunches

The majority of people use incorrect or unsafe ways for doing it. These exercises are useful, yet have the risk of injuries. On contrary, they generate the same results but have low risk of injuries.

Decline Crunches

It is also a great workout as it involves various muscles in abdominal area. This one lets you have your legs steady that helps you isolate all the muscles. You can also increase or decrease the amount of intensity.

Stability Ball Crunches

It is a great way for strengthening and adding muscles on abs. It is believed that this type is more useful than the regular one preformed on the floor.

Rope Crunches

This workout is usually ignored by new bodybuilders as they don’t know its importance. However, it is one of the favorite workouts of the experienced body builders.

V Crunches

It is considered to be an effective one that works with all the muscles in rectus abdominis area. It is basically a combination of upper and lower body and if you perform it in correct form, you can gain a lot from this simple exercise.

Swiss Ball Crunches

It is quite similar to the regular form in which you have to sit up on a floor surface. However, in Swiss ball you use a ball that gives you healthier benefits.

Cross crunches

It is not simple and this is the reason why new guys at the earlier stages of their fitness training don’t prefer doing this exercise. However, this is a great workout and it must be included in your plan for better results.

Hanging Crunches

Its name itself describes that it involves hanging with a bar or something else to tuck knees up to the ribs. It works to strengthen outer and inner muscles in abdominal area and make spine and hip flexors stronger.

Reverse Crunches Exercise

It does something differently than the traditional ways since in this one you have to move your body in opposite manner. It is simple yet effective.

Medicine Ball Crunches

Use of weight increases the amount of resistance while doing crunches. For this purpose, medicine ball is also used to add resistance to the regular manner.

Twist Crunches

It is an alternative way to perform the regular type and it works effectively when you are trying to get rid of unwanted body fat.

You lie down on a mat or floor with your back, bend your knees, put hands behind your head and feet on the ground to make a position to perform twist.

Butterfly Crunches

It works with the upper muscles in abdominal area. The fitness experts believe that it gives a good twist to the regular form.

Roman Chair Crunches

It takes hyperextension when you come to a roll over position and it is safe if you do it in the right way. The main problem is that if you bend backwards too far, this may cause strain in your abs or you may also injure your lower back.

Upside Down Crunches

This type works for your lower abs. When you are hanging, you need to maintain the level of gravity and it seems like you are performing it with weight, but you don’t need a weight plate.

Floor Crunches

This is a great one for the beginners as it increases muscular strength. With the help of this basic type, the beginners can learn how to control abdominals which is quite important to learn before doing the difficult ones.

Incline crunches

This one is highly effective and low in intensity while it gives great results for strengthening the abs.


Bench Crunches

It is a very simple abs exercise which can be performed either at the gym, your own home or some other place. You just need a bench to keep your feet on it.

Supine Reverse Crunches

This is an effective abdominal workout and it does not require any such equipment which may be a problem for an individual. It is potentially an effective way to help flattening belly.

Vertical Crunches

This is one of the best exercises which help in toning and isolating all muscles in abdominal area. While you are performing it, you actually use both lower and upper body muscles to tone your abs.

Vertical Leg Crunches

It is considered to be one of the most useful ab workouts and it works with both of your lower and upper ab muscles. This exercise isolates abdominal muscles more effectively than the other traditional forms.

Ball Crunches

This is a low intensity exercise, but it is quite effective in strengthening abs muscles. While doing ball crunches, make sure that there is enough space between your limbs when adjusting the ball down.