How high should the bench angle be set?

Beginners should start with a shallow 15 to 30-degree angle. As your core strength improves, you can increase the steepness to add more resistance.

Are incline crunches better than floor crunches?

The incline increases the range of motion and provides constant tension against gravity. This makes the exercise significantly more challenging for the abdominal muscles than a standard floor crunch.

Should I sit all the way up during the movement?

No, a crunch only requires the shoulder blades to leave the bench. Sitting all the way up turns the movement into a sit-up, which involves significantly more hip flexor activation.

How to Do Incline Crunches: Form, Benefits, and Tips

Master the incline crunch with our expert guide. Learn proper form, avoid common mistakes, and target your core effectively using an incline bench.

How to Perform

Sit on the end of an incline bench and secure your feet firmly under the padded rollers.
Lie back until your torso is fully supported by the bench and place your hands lightly behind your head or crossed over your chest.
Exhale and contract your abdominals to lift your shoulder blades off the bench while keeping your lower back pressed against the pad.
Pause at the top of the movement for one second to maximize peak contraction in the core.
Inhale and slowly lower your upper body back to the starting position in a controlled motion.
Maintain a slight tuck in your chin throughout the set to avoid straining your neck muscles.

Common Mistakes

Pulling on the back of the head with your hands which strains the neck.
Using momentum to swing the torso upward instead of a controlled abdominal contraction.
Lifting the lower back off the bench which shifts the focus to the hip flexors.
Performing the repetition too quickly and skipping the eccentric lowering phase.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

Stabilizers

Hip Flexors
Obliques
Transverse Abdominis

Related Guides

3008 Abdominal Crunch — Core
Ab Roller — Core
Ab wheel — Core

Abs · Core