Abs · Exercise ball
Medicine Ball Crunch
The medicine ball crunch is a weighted core exercise designed to progressively overload the rectus abdominis. It suits intermediate to advanced trainees and fits best toward the middle or end of a strength session.
- Muscles
- Abs
- Equipment
- Exercise ball
- Type
- Strength
- Animation
- Men
How to do it
- Lie on your back holding a medicine ball with both hands.
- Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the ball against your chest or extend it overhead.
- Crunch up by contracting your abdominal muscles.
- Slowly return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your core.
Common mistakes
- Yanking the neck forward strains the cervical spine and shifts tension away from the abdominal wall.
- Using momentum to swing the ball forward reduces muscle activation and compromises control during the ascent.
- Lifting the lower back entirely off the floor shifts the workload from the abdominals to the hip flexors.
Tips
- Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the floor and focus solely on rolling your ribcage toward your pelvis.
- Exhale completely at the top of the crunch to maximize abdominal contraction.
- Hold the ball closer to your chest to make the movement easier, or extend your arms overhead to increase the lever arm and difficulty.
Sets and reps
Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 controlled repetitions, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
Muscles worked
Your coach guides every set
Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.
On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.
Questions
How heavy should the medicine ball be?
Start with a ball weighing 2 to 4 kilograms (4 to 9 pounds) to ensure you maintain full abdominal control without straining your neck.
Can dumbbells replace a medicine ball for this exercise?
Yes, holding a single dumbbell or weight plate across your chest serves as a direct and effective substitute.
