Abs · Isolation movement
Decline Reverse Crunch
An isolation exercise for the abs. You need a flat bench.
Primary muscle
Abs
Secondary muscles
–
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Decline Reverse Crunch
- Lie back (or kneel under a cable, for a cable crunch) with the lower spine flat against the floor or the hips fully flexed.
- Place the hands lightly behind the head or across the chest without pulling on the neck.
- Curl the upper body toward the pelvis by contracting the abs, think "shorten the distance between ribs and hips", not "sit up".
- Stop when the upper back is off the floor (or the ribs are pulled into the hips, for a cable crunch); going further recruits the hip flexors.
- Lower under control back to the start; do not let the head crash down to bounce out of the rep.
Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Pulling on the neck with the hands instead of curling the upper body up with the abs.
- •Treating the movement as a sit-up by lifting the lower back off the floor and pivoting at the hips.
- •Rushing the reps without a real contraction at the top.
- •Going too heavy on a cable crunch and using the lats to pull the rope down rather than the abs to curl the torso.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Decline Reverse Crunch fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize abs volume.
Browse training programs →Track your sets and reps automatically with MuscleBuddy
Free workout logging and auto-progression, with coaching that adjusts to the sets and weigh-ins you log.
Create your free account