Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Weighted Decline Crunch
The weighted decline crunch trains your abs by curling your upper back off a sloped bench while holding a weight plate against your chest.
- Intermediate
- Isolation
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Sit on the decline bench with your legs secured under the pads.
- Hold a weight plate firmly against your chest with both hands.
- Lie back until your upper back rests on the bench.
- Curl your ribs toward your pelvis until your shoulder blades lift off the bench.
- Lower your upper back to the bench under control.
Form cues
- Exhale as you curl.
- Keep your neck long.
- Keep your hips still.
Common mistakes
- Turning the crunch into a sit-upUse a short curling motion rather than bringing your chest toward your thighs.
- Bouncing out of the bottomPause briefly on the bench so each repetition starts without momentum.
- Arching your lower backChoose a shallower decline if you cannot keep your lower back gently supported.
Safety
Excessive weight or fatigue can strain your neck or lower back as you lose control of the curl. A slipping plate can strike your chest or face.
- Check that the bench angle adjustment and leg pads are locked before starting.
- Practice without weight before adding a light plate.
- End the set when you can no longer lower smoothly.
- At the end of the set, sit up with the plate held against your chest before releasing your legs from the pads.
If curling your spine causes back or neck pain, choose a pain-free alternative and seek advice from a physiotherapist before adding weight.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Abdominal Bench
- Weight Plate
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–15 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Choose a load that leaves you able to complete about two more controlled repetitions.