Machine Crunch

How to Perform the Machine Crunch

Adjust the seat height so the chest pad or handles align with your upper chest.
Sit down and position your feet under the foot pads for stability.
Grip the handles or place your chest against the pad, depending on the machine design.
Begin with your torso in an upright or slightly extended position.
Contract your abdominals to curl your torso forward and downward, bringing your ribcage toward your pelvis.
Squeeze your abs hard at the fully contracted position for a brief pause.
Slowly reverse the movement, returning to the starting position under control.
Maintain constant tension on the abs by not letting the weight stack rest between reps.

Using the arms and hip flexors to pull the weight rather than the abs

Focus on curling your ribcage toward your pelvis using only your abdominal muscles; your arms should just hold the handles, not pull.

Using too heavy a weight and reducing range of motion

Select a weight that allows full spinal flexion with a clear squeeze at the bottom.

Moving too fast through the repetitions

Use a controlled 2-3 second cadence on both the concentric and eccentric phases.

✓Allows progressive overloading of the abdominals with precise weight selection.
✓Provides a consistent resistance curve throughout the range of motion.
✓Supports the development of thicker, more visible abdominal muscles.

●Exhale forcefully as you crunch forward to maximally contract the abdominals.
●Think about bringing your sternum toward your belly button rather than just bending forward.
●This exercise is excellent for progressive overload on the abs since weight can be easily adjusted.

Strength

4-5 sets of 6-8 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 10-15 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-25 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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