How to do a Tuck Crunch
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Tuck Crunch
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Tuck Crunch is a bodyweight core exercise that primarily targets the abdominals. This exercise involves lying on your back, tucking your knees towards your chest, and then extending them back out while performing a standard crunch movement. This compound movement enhances core muscle activation and coordination, making it a great exercise for strengthening the entire core.
- Sit upright on the floor with your knees at a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
- Slowly lean back until your abdomen muscles are engaged and your back is about 45 degrees from the floor. Raise your heels slightly off the floor. While engaging your abdomen, extend your legs forward without letting them touch the floor.
- Once in full extension, slowly flex your knees toward your chest while also bringing your chest slightly forward. Keep tension in your abdomen as you lower your upper body back to 45 degrees from the floor.
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Alternatives & Variations to Tuck Crunch
1. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 669 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
2. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 404 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
3. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 370 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
4. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 349 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
5. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 336 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
6. Dead Bug
92.4 mSCORESWAPPED 260 TIMESDead Bugs are a bodyweight core exercise that requires you to lay on your back, and alternate extending your arms and legs out away from your body. The position you’re in on the ground keeps your core engaged, while extending your arms and legs away from you forces you to further recruit your core to continue to stabilize yourself.
7. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 249 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
8. Flutter Kicks
88 mSCORESWAPPED 248 TIMESFlutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.
9. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 241 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.