# Long Arm Crunch

A bodyweight crunch with both arms held straight overhead, curling your torso to about 45 degrees. The long arm position makes it harder than a standard crunch and trains the abs and obliques.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/long-arm-crunches/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/long-arm-crunch/

## Muscles worked

- Abs: 9/10
- Obliques: 6/10

## How to do the Long Arm Crunch

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, arms straight overhead beside your ears.
2. Press your lower back into the floor and keep your ribs pulled down.
3. Curl up until your torso is about 45 degrees, arms following.
4. Slowly lower back down until your upper back touches the floor again.

### Full technique — 6 steps

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend both arms straight overhead beside your ears, one hand over the other.
3. Press your lower back into the floor and keep your ribs pulled down.
4. Curl your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor, keeping your arms in line with your torso.
5. Rise until your torso is about 45 degrees from the floor, with your hips and feet still down.
6. Lower your torso slowly until your upper back and arms return to the floor.

## Common mistakes

- Swinging arms for momentum
- Letting the arms drop forward
- Lower back arching off floor
- Lifting the feet off the floor
- Dropping into the next rep

## Form cues

- Keep arms by ears
- Curl ribs toward pelvis
- Lift with abs first
- Curl, don't yank up
- Keep feet planted

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3 sets of 10–12 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 12–20 reps · rest 1 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 20–30 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Resistance bands**: [Kneeling Resistance Band Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/kneeling-resistance-band-crunch/), [Resistance Band Decline Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-decline-sit-up/)
- **Suspension trainer**: [Suspension Trainer Hanging Leg Raise](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-hanging-leg-raise/), [Suspension Trainer Hanging Knee Raise](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-hanging-knee-raise/)
- **Dumbbells**: [Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-decline-sit-up/), [Dumbbell Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-straight-arm-crunch/)
- **Medicine ball**: [Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/medicine-ball-toe-touch-crunch/), [Medicine Ball Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/medicine-ball-straight-arm-crunch/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-straight-arm-crunch/) — 15% of bodyweight
- Easier: [Bench Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/bench-knee-tuck/) — 20% of bodyweight
- **This exercise: Long Arm Crunch — 25% of bodyweight**
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Pass Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-crunch/) — 30% of bodyweight
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Half Rollout](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-half-rollout/) — 40% of bodyweight

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Long Arm Crunch work?

Primary: Abs 9/10. Also works: Obliques 6/10.

### When should I do the Long Arm Crunch in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 5 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Long Arm Crunch?

Strength: 3 sets of 10–12 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 12–20 reps, rest 1 min, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 20–30 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Long Arm Crunch?

Resistance bands: Kneeling Resistance Band Crunch, Resistance Band Decline Sit-Up. Suspension trainer: Suspension Trainer Hanging Leg Raise, Suspension Trainer Hanging Knee Raise. Dumbbells: Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up, Dumbbell Straight Arm Crunch. Medicine ball: Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch, Medicine Ball Straight Arm Crunch.

### What is an easier version of the Long Arm Crunch?

Bench Knee Tuck (20% of bodyweight), Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch (15% of bodyweight).

### What is a harder version of the Long Arm Crunch?

Ab Wheel Pass Crunch (30% of bodyweight), Ab Wheel Half Rollout (40% of bodyweight).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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