Decline Crunch
A bodyweight core exercise done on a decline bench, curling the shoulders up while the lower back stays pressed down. It suits lifters who want more range of motion than a standard crunch.
- Primary musclesCore
- Secondary musclesnone listed
- EquipmentBodyweight
- LevelIntermediate · isolation
How to do the decline crunch
- Secure your legs at the top of a decline bench and lie back with your head toward the floor.
- Place your hands lightly beside your head without locking your fingers behind it.
- Press your lower back into the bench and roll your shoulders up off the pad.
- Continue curling up a few inches, exhaling and holding the contraction for a moment.
- Lower back down slowly as you inhale, keeping your lower back on the bench throughout.
Original library instructions (6 steps)
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down.
- Now place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Tip: Don't lock your fingers behind your head.
- While pushing the small of your back down in the bench to better isolate your abdominal muscles, begin to roll your shoulders off it.
- Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back as you contract your abdominals and exhale. Your shoulders should come up off the bench only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the bench. At the top of the movement, contract your abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second. Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum.
- After the one second contraction, begin to come down slowly again to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Common mistakes
- Using momentum to swing the torso up instead of curling slowly with the abs.
- Letting the lower back lift off the bench, which shifts effort away from the core.
- Pulling on the head with the hands; keep them light and let the abs do the work.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 60 seconds rest |
| Muscle | 3 sets of 15 reps, 45 seconds rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 20 reps, 30 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Start on a low decline angle and increase it once the basic crunch position feels comfortable.
- Move slowly and deliberately rather than using speed to complete more reps.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Is the decline crunch good for beginners?
It suits lifters who already find a standard crunch easy, since the decline angle adds more range of motion and challenge for the core.
What muscles does the decline crunch work?
It mainly works the core, since this record does not list any secondary muscles for the exercise.
