What equipment do you need for the machine crunch?

You need machine to do the machine crunch.

What is a good machine crunch?

For men, a good machine crunch is about a 207.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 67.5 lb and elite lifters pass 390 lb. For women, the standards run from about 35 lb to 167.5 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Core · Machine

Machine Crunch

How to do the machine crunch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Machine
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Core Hold
Mechanic: Accessory

Find more:Abs & Core exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Sit tall with your back against the pad and place your forearms/locked arms on the handles. Brace your core and exhale as you crunch to drive the handles forward/down using your abs (not your arms). Return slowly to the start until you feel a stretch through the midsection, then repeat.

1Your abs pulling the ribcage down and forward, like a strong crunch, while the arms stay mostly fixed on the handles.

Common mistakes

Turning it into a chest press (bending the elbows), yanking with momentum, hyperextending the low back at the bottom, or letting the weight slam on the return.