Crunch - Hands Overhead
The Crunch - Hands Overhead isolates the Abdominals through a controlled range of motion. This beginner-level body only exercise builds focused strength where compound movements often fall short.
Starting position
Ending position
Muscles Worked
The abdominals handles the primary load during this movement. This isolation movement keeps tension concentrated on a single muscle group.
How to Crunch - Hands Overhead
- 1
Lie on the floor with your back flat and knees bent with around a 60-degree angle between the hamstrings and the calves.
- 2
Keep your feet flat on the floor and stretch your arms overhead with your palms crossed. This will be your starting position.
- 3
Curl your upper body forward and bring your shoulder blades just off the floor. At all times, keep your arms aligned with your head, neck and shoulder. Don't move them forward from that position. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction for a second.
- 4
Slowly lower down to the starting position as you inhale.
- 5
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Common Mistakes
- • Focus on the mind-muscle connection — feel the target muscle working through each rep.
- • Use a controlled tempo of 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down to eliminate momentum.
- • If reps become too easy, slow the tempo or add a pause at the hardest point rather than rushing through more reps.
- • Squeeze at peak contraction for a full second — this is where most of the growth stimulus occurs.
Similar Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does the Crunch - Hands Overhead work?
The Crunch - Hands Overhead primarily targets the Abdominals. It's an effective isolation exercise for building abdominals strength.
Is the Crunch - Hands Overhead good for beginners?
Yes, the Crunch - Hands Overhead is suitable for beginners. Start with light weight to master the 5-step form before adding load.
What equipment do I need for the Crunch - Hands Overhead?
You need no equipment — just your bodyweight to perform the Crunch - Hands Overhead. This makes it ideal for home workouts.
Track Your Progress
RepStack logs every set, calculates your e1RM, and coaches progressive overload — automatically.