Core · Leverage Machine
Hands Pad Lever Seated Crunch
How to do the hands pad lever seated crunch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Leverage Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on the leverage crunch machine with your back against the pad and hands resting on the upper pad. Crunch forward by contracting your abs to drive the pad down, then return under control.
- 1Feel a strong squeeze through your abs as you crunch the pad down
- 2Hinge from your rib cage and curl your torso toward your hips
- 3Keep the motion driven by your core, not your arms
Common mistakes
- Don't push the pad with your hands or arms
- Avoid using momentum or jerking through the rep
- Don't pull with your hip flexors to start the movement
Muscles worked
The hands pad lever seated crunch mainly works the upper abs, with the lower abs and obliques assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the hands pad lever seated crunch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.