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how to do reverse crunches

Instead of lifting your head toward your knees, reverse crunches move the other end: you curl your pelvis up toward your ribs. That makes them kinder to your neck than regular crunches and a better choice if you feel crunches mostly in your throat and shoulders. They emphasize the lower portion of your abs and teach you to tilt the pelvis on purpose, a skill that carries into planks and leg raises. The limitation is range: the movement is small, and swinging your legs quickly turns it into a hip-flexor drill.

▶ watch reverse crunches on the dedicated video page

primary musclesabs
also worksobliques
levelbeginner
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typerep-based

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms by your sides with palms facing down for stability.
  2. Lift your legs off the floor, bending your knees at a 90-degree angle so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your calves are parallel to the floor.
  3. Engage your core and lift your hips off the floor, curling your knees towards your chest. Focus on using your abdominal muscles to lift your hips.
  4. Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position, keeping your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

how much: Start with 3 sets of 8–10 reps, and lengthen the lowering to three seconds before adding reps.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Think of peeling your tailbone off the floor one vertebra at a time.
  • Keep your knees at the same bend throughout; the curl comes from your hips, not your legs.
  • Press your palms lightly into the floor to steady yourself without pushing up.

common mistakes

  • Swinging the legs to throw the hips up — pause with shins level, then curl slowly with no bounce.
  • Letting the feet crash down between reps — stop your heels just short of the floor and restart.
  • Knees drifting over your face into a backward roll — stop once your hips clear the floor by a few inches.

make it easier or harder

easier
Keep your feet on the floor and rock your knees gently toward your chest with a small pelvic tilt.
harder
Straighten your legs toward the ceiling and lift your hips straight up, as in a leg-raise hip lift.
reverse crunches: knees curled toward chest, hips lifted slightly off floor
reverse crunches — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

sit-ups halfway up: knees bent, feet flat, hands lightly behind the head sit-ups plank on forearms: elbows under shoulders, body straight from head to heels plank mountain climbers in high plank: one knee driven toward the chest, hips level mountain climbers crunches at the top: shoulder blades lifted, arms reaching toward the knees crunches bicycle crunches mid-twist: elbow reaching toward the opposite knee, other leg extended bicycle crunches leg raises top position: lying flat, straight legs pointing up at the ceiling leg raises

never wonder what to train next

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