Knee Reaching Crunch
About This Exercise
A core exercise that targets the rectus abdominis.
How to Perform
- 1
Setup
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head lightly or extend them toward your knees. Engage your core by pressing your lower back into the mat.
- 2
Initiate the Crunch
Exhale and curl your upper body off the floor, reaching your hands toward your knees. Focus on using your abdominals to lift your shoulders and upper back off the ground.
- 3
Top Position
Reach forward until your hands touch or pass your knees. Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement and hold briefly. Keep your chin slightly tucked, not jammed into your chest.
- 4
Lower with Control
Slowly lower your shoulders back toward the floor with control, maintaining tension in your abs. Do not let your head or shoulders fully rest on the ground between reps to keep constant tension.
Form Tips
- •Keep your lower back pressed into the mat throughout
- •Curl up by contracting your abs, not pulling with your neck
- •Reach forward with your hands to encourage full contraction
- •Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Pulling on the neck with the hands instead of using the abs
- •Using momentum to swing up rather than controlled contraction
- •Not reaching far enough, limiting range of motion
- •Letting the lower back arch off the floor
Primary Muscles
Secondary Muscles
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