# Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch

A floor crunch with the legs held straight up, reaching a medicine ball toward your feet. Adds load to the toe touch crunch to train the abs through trunk flexion.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: Medicine ball
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/med-ball-toe-touches/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/medicine-ball-toe-touch-crunch/

## Muscles worked

- Abs: 9/10
- Obliques: 5/10

## How to do the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch

1. Lie on your back, legs straight up, ball held above your chest.
2. Press your lower back into the floor, arms straight.
3. Exhale and curl up, reaching the ball toward your feet.
4. Lower slowly, keeping your legs vertical.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Lie on your back with both legs extended straight up and a medicine ball held above your chest.
2. Keep your arms straight with your palms on the sides of the ball.
3. Press your lower back into the floor and keep your chin slightly toward your chest.
4. Exhale and curl your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor.
5. Reach the ball toward your feet by shortening through your abs, not swinging your arms.
6. Lift until your shoulder blades clear the floor and the ball reaches your shins or toes.
7. Lower your upper back to the floor under control while keeping your legs vertical.

## Common mistakes

- Swinging arms for momentum
- Letting legs drift backward
- Only lifting the neck
- Lower back arching off floor
- Bending knees to shorten range

## Form cues

- Exhale into the crunch
- Curl ribs toward pelvis
- Keep knees straight
- Chin slightly toward chest
- Arms stay long

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps · rest 1 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 20–25 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 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.

- **No equipment**: [Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-straight-arm-crunch/), [Alternating Tuck-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/alternating-tuck-up/)
- **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/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Lying Resistance Band Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-resistance-band-crunch/), [Lying Resistance Band Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-resistance-band-knee-tuck/)
- **Suspension trainer**: [Suspension Trainer Hanging Knee Raise](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-hanging-knee-raise/), [Suspension Trainer Hanging Leg Raise](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-hanging-leg-raise/)

## 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: [Medicine Ball Straight Arm Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/medicine-ball-straight-arm-crunch/) — Beginner
- **This exercise: Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch — Beginner**
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Half Rollout](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-half-rollout/) — 40% of bodyweight
- Harder: [Ab Wheel Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-knee-tuck/) — 60% of bodyweight

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch work?

Primary: Abs 9/10. Also works: Obliques 5/10.

### When should I do the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch in a workout?

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

### How many sets and reps of the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 1 min, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 20–25 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch?

No equipment: Ab Wheel Straight Arm Crunch, Alternating Tuck-Up. Dumbbells: Dumbbell Decline Sit-Up, Dumbbell Straight Arm Crunch. Resistance bands: Lying Resistance Band Crunch, Lying Resistance Band Knee Tuck. Suspension trainer: Suspension Trainer Hanging Knee Raise, Suspension Trainer Hanging Leg Raise.

### What is an easier version of the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch?

Medicine Ball Straight Arm Crunch (Beginner).

### What is a harder version of the Medicine Ball Toe Touch Crunch?

Ab Wheel Half Rollout (40% of bodyweight), Ab Wheel Knee Tuck (60% of bodyweight).

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

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