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Knee Touch Crunch
A short-range crunch where the hands slide up to touch the knees, giving beginners a clear rep target for rectus abdominis work.
AbsBodyweightTrunk flexion
GoLightWeight mediaknee-touch-crunch
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Rectus abdominis
Secondary
ObliquesHip flexors
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Trunk flexion
Setup
- 01Lie on your back on a mat with knees bent about 90 degrees.
- 02Plant both feet flat on the floor about hip width apart.
- 03Extend your arms along your sides with hands resting on your thighs.
- 04Press your lower back gently into the mat before the first rep.
Execution
- 01Exhale and curl the shoulders and upper back off the floor.
- 02Slide your hands up your thighs until your fingers touch your knees.
- 03Pause briefly at the top with the abs fully contracted.
- 04Lower back down under control until the shoulder blades touch the mat.
Checkpoints
- -Fingers actually reach the kneecaps on every rep.
- -Lower back stays in contact with the mat throughout.
- -Chin stays off the chest with a fist of space under it.
- -The movement comes from the trunk, not from yanking the arms.
Common mistakes
- -Pulling with the neck instead of curling the trunk.
- -Using momentum to swing up rather than a controlled curl.
- -Lifting so high that the hip flexors take over.
- -Letting the feet slide or lift off the floor.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps at the end of a session.
- -Slow the lowering phase to 2 to 3 seconds before adding volume.
- -Progress to crunches with hands overhead or weighted crunches once 20 clean reps are easy.
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