Decline crunch

Setup

Hook your feet under the pads of a decline bench set somewhere between 20 and 40 degrees. Sit up tall, cross the arms over the chest or hold a light dumbbell against the sternum. Tilt the pelvis under so the lower back stays flat against the bench before the first rep.

How to do it

1. 1

   Set the brace

   Exhale and pull the ribs down toward the hips before you start moving. The trunk should already feel solid before the upper body lowers.

2. 2

   Lower under control

   Roll back one vertebra at a time until the upper back lightly touches the bench. The lower back should never leave the pad. If it does, the angle is too steep.

3. 3

   Crunch up

   Bring the ribcage toward the pelvis. Stop when the shoulder blades clear the bench. There is no point sitting all the way up; past that point the work transfers to the hip flexors.

4. 4

   Squeeze, then descend

   Pause for a one-count at the top. Lower slowly back down on a three-second count. The eccentric is doing most of the building.

Common mistakes

• • Setting the decline too steep on day one, which loads the hip flexors more than the abs.
• • Pulling the neck forward with the hands behind the head.
• • Sitting all the way up rather than crunching, which empties the abs and loads the hips.
• • Dropping at the bottom instead of staying braced.
• • Adding weight before bodyweight reps are clean and slow.

FAQ