Machine Crunch

Core · core · beginner

Start

Finish

How to do it

Sit in the ab crunch machine with the pad set against the chest and the pivot lined up with your waist, then curl the ribcage toward the hips through a short range and control the return.

Muscles worked

Primary: core

Equipment

Machines

Common mistakes

Setting the seat so the pivot sits at the chest rather than the waist, which makes you fold at the hips
Pulling with the arms on the handles instead of shortening the abs
Letting the stack slam back and using the rebound to start the next rep

Variations

Pause two seconds at the shortened position
Slow four-second negatives
Single-arm version for a slight oblique bias

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