Crunch (Dumbbell)

An abdominal isolation exercise performed while lying on your back, holding a dumbbell on your chest and contracting your core to lift your shoulders off the ground.

Instructions

1. Lie flat on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest with both hands.
3. Engage your core and curl your upper back upward by contracting your abdominal muscles.
4. Lift your shoulders off the ground, bringing your chest toward your knees.
5. Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your abdominals.
6. Lower your shoulders back to the ground with control.
7. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Focus on flexing your abdominal muscles rather than pulling with your neck or using momentum
• Keep your neck in a neutral position; do not pull your head forward
• The range of motion is relatively short compared to other exercises
• Keep the dumbbell held firmly against your chest throughout the movement
• Lower the weight with control; avoid dropping your shoulders abruptly
• This is a pure isolation exercise for the rectus abdominis
• Start with lighter weights to master the form before increasing load