Weighted Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, holding a weight plate or short bar across your chest or just behind your head. Curl your shoulders and upper back off the floor, bringing your ribs toward your hips, then lower back down under control. Holding the weight higher, toward your head, makes the same crunch noticeably harder than holding it at your chest. Keep your chin off your chest and your neck relaxed; the weight should load your abs, not your arms or neck, so avoid using your hands to pull yourself up. Move deliberately on both the curl and the lower — the added load makes a rushed rep far less effective than a slow one.