I’ll teach you the greatest crunch variants in this article to make your ab workout more versatile and target different areas of your abdomen. These ab workouts are suitable for beginners and may be performed at home. Crunches are often chastised, but they remain one of the best isometric ab exercises available.

Crunches tutorials for various sorts of crunches

Standard Crunch

This classic crunch primarily targets the upper and lower abdominals. It appears to be straightforward to accomplish, but many beginners fail miserably. Here’s how to do things the right way.

• Lie down with your knees bent on the ground. Placing your hands behind your head is a good idea.
• Curl your upper body (chest, shoulders, and head) off the floor with the help of your abs. Keep your upper body from rising too high. Just a few inches will enough. Make the motion look like you’re making a half-circle.
• Tighten your abs and hold the position for a few seconds.
• Return to your starting posture slowly, but do not relax your body. Rep the action as soon as possible.
• Make the motion as continuous as possible, and avoid using momentum or pulling your neck to lift your upper body.

Cross-over Crunch

Oblique crunches are excellent for targeting the external obliques, the side abs that form the V-cut in the middle.

• Lie down on the floor with one leg bent and your foot flat on the ground. Cross your second leg over it so that your heel is on the opposite knee.
• On the side where your foot is positioned on the floor, place one hand behind your head. Place your other arm beside you.
• By pointing your elbow towards your opposing knee, pull your upper body up. So you do a torso twist.
• Carry out the same procedure on the other side.

Perform the motion slowly and deliberately, concentrating on your abs and obliques. Squeeze your abs in the highest position and slowly return to the starting position. At the bottom, do not unwind.

This is the beginner’s version of the game. If you find it too easy, you can place both of your hands behind your head.

Reverse Crunches (Hip rolls)

We employ the weight of the lower body as resistance in this crunch version. As a result, it efficiently works the lower abs.

• Lie down on the ground. Place your arms next to you, with your hands beneath your buttocks. This will aid in motion control.
• Bring your knees to your chest. The less you bend, the less resistance you’ll encounter. As a result, the workout will be more enjoyable.
• Raise your legs and bring them closer to your torso. Lift your buttocks and toes towards the ceiling at the same time. You can take a breather and squeeze your abs for a few seconds.
• Return your lower body to the beginning posture in a calm manner. Do not stop there or let your butt to rest on your hands.
• Repeat

To achieve the most favorable form, you must practice. You’re on the correct track if you can feel the ache in your abs.

Combine reverse crunch with standard isometric crunch to make it more difficult. At the starting posture, place your hands behind your head, and lift your upper body up. While completing the reverse crunch, maintain this immobile position.

Alternating crunches

This is a fantastic exercise for working every region of your stomach, especially your oblique. The basic crunch is nearly identical, with the exception that you twist your torso.

• Bend your knees and lie down on the ground. Placing your hands behind your head is a good idea.
• Curl your upper body up to the point where your elbow meets the opposing knee. You can elevate that knee as you move forward for a better contraction.
• Switch to the other side and slowly lower your shoulders back.

To keep the abdominal muscles engaged, keep the activity going as long as feasible. Stop at the top for maximum impact and don’t stop at the bottom.

Swiss ball crunches

Because it creates an unstable environment, the stability ball is a fantastic exercise tool for strengthening your core. The core muscles are recruited in this way to help you maintain your balance and support the exercise.

• To gain balance, lie on the workout ball and plant your feet on the floor. Because of the imbalance and greater resistance, the action becomes more difficult the more your lower back is on the ball. Place your hands behind your head and hold them there.
• Forward-curl your upper body. Continue to move until your abdominal muscles contract. Do not sit up; simply elevate your shoulders off the stability ball a few inches.
• Slowly lower your upper body back to the starting position and repeat.

Swiss ball crunches with outstretched arms are a more advanced form. It will be more difficult to maintain balance in this manner, resulting in higher core activation and resistance. The procedure is the same.

To target your obliques, practice the alternate variation (side crunches) on the ball.

Bicycle Crunches

The best version on this list is the bicycle crunch, which engages all of the core muscles. It takes some practice, but it’s well worth it to get your abs in shape.

• Lie down on the floor and bend your knees so that your thighs are parallel to the ground and your lower legs are vertical to the ground.
• Raise your head off the ground by placing your hands behind your head.
• Extend your right knee while crunching the right side of your upper body by moving your right elbow towards your left knee.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

It’s a complicated move that demands a lot of practice. Slowly and deliberately, focussing on the steps. Quality takes precedence over quantity.

V Sit Crunch – V-Up

This is a great workout for targeting both the upper and lower rectus abdominis. It is, however, a difficult task.

• Lie on the floor with your legs straightened and your arms at a 45-degree angle.
• Bring your legs and upper torso in close proximity to one another.
• Stop for a moment at the top.
• Return your legs and shoulders to the starting position slowly.
• Repeat.

Keep your arms and legs stretched during the movement. Bring them as close as possible to each other. If you can touch your toes, that’s ideal. Maintain the 45-degree angle by not resting your arms and legs at the bottom.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make crunches harder?

If you find that the regular variations are no longer assisting your growth, here are some suggestions for making them more difficult.

• Make use of a decline sit-up bench. You can increase the resistance by using an adjustable ab bench. There are several levels to choose from. The activity becomes more difficult as the board is raised higher.
• Make use of weight (medicine ball, weight plate, dumbbell, water bottle, etc.). The correct form, however, is always the first!
• Make use of a stability ball or a Bosu ball. Because the exercise is performed while resting on an unstable piece of equipment, it necessitates stronger core control.

Hold the crunch for a moment at the peak of the exercise, and clench your abs.

Is it true that crunches might help you lose tummy fat?

Crunches will not help much if you have belly fat because they are abs strength training exercises. They’re quick movements that only burn a few calories.

If you want to lose belly fat, focus on your diet to consume fewer calories per day than your body requires (calorie deficit), causing your body to begin burning fat. Weight loss can also be aided by total-body cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

When doing a crunch, which hand position is best?

Beginners frequently make the mistake of clasping their fingers behind their heads and pulling their necks while crunching. Instead of relying solely on the strength of their abs.

One approach to avoid it is to place the fingertips on the head instead of clasping the fingers. We won’t be able to pull this way.

The alternative method is to do ordinary crunches while placing your hands on your chest. It’s a little easier, so it’s a good place to start for novices.

Is it better to do crunches or sit ups?

Both are abs strength training exercises, although they have different ranges of motion (ROM). The sit-up has a longer range of motion, making it more difficult to do while also requiring greater muscle activation. It is, however, frequently chastised for creating back problems. This is due to poor performance or a weak lower back, both of which can be remedied with back extension exercises.

I propose incorporating both into your abs workout to reap the benefits of both. Crunches are a good place to start for novices.

To sum up,

I hope you found this crunch variations guide helpful and that you were able to locate exercises that are appropriate for your ab workout. These are traditional moves that are ideal for tummy sculpting at home. You might also be interested in these plank ab workouts without crunches. Do you know of any other crunches? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.