At a glance
- Main muscle
- Core
- Equipment
- Machine
- Rep range in Mitta
- 10 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 5 kg
How to do it
- Curl your torso forward.
- Don't let your hips pull along.
- Return slowly.
Pick a weight you can lift for 10 to 15 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating A
Stable, loadable ab exercise.
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Cable Crunch · Cable · rating A
- Weighted Decline Crunch · Dumbbell · rating A
- Ab Wheel Rollout · Band, ball or wheel · rating B
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the machine crunch.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the machine crunch with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
machine crunch
What muscles does the machine crunch work?
The machine crunch mainly trains your core.
How many reps of the machine crunch should I do?
Mitta plans the machine crunch at 10 to 15 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the machine crunch?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the cable crunch, weighted decline crunch and ab wheel rollout.
Is the machine crunch good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the machine crunch have rating A?
Stable, loadable ab exercise.