# Straight Leg Reverse Crunch

A floor abdominal exercise where you lift your hips off the floor with straight legs pointing up. Targets the rectus abdominis, with a longer lever than the bent-knee reverse crunch. You can balance an ab wheel on the soles of your feet for extra control.

- Intermediate · Isolation
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/wheels-to-heaven/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/straight-leg-reverse-crunch/

## Muscles worked

- Abs: 9/10
- Obliques: 5/10
- Lower back: 3/10

## How to do the Straight Leg Reverse Crunch

1. Lie on your back, legs straight, hands near your hips for support.
2. Raise your legs until they point straight up, knees straight.
3. Push your feet toward the ceiling, lifting your hips off the floor.
4. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Lie flat on your back with legs straight and hands beside you or under your hips.
2. Raise your legs together until they point straight up, keeping your knees straight.
3. Press your arms into the floor and tighten your stomach before each rep.
4. Push your feet up toward the ceiling so your hips lift off the floor.
5. Lift only until your tailbone leaves the ground without swinging your legs overhead.
6. Lower your hips back down slowly until your pelvis returns to the floor.
7. Keep your legs pointing up between reps without letting them drop.

## Common mistakes

- Kicking legs overhead
- Swinging legs with momentum
- Bending knees to shorten range
- Only moving at the hips
- Dropping into the next rep

## Form cues

- Keep knees straight
- Lift from the abs
- Arms press into floor
- Push feet to ceiling

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 1 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–25 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.

- **Barbell**: [Barbell Overhead Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/barbell-overhead-sit-up/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Resistance Band Dead Bug](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-dead-bug/), [Lying Resistance Band Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-resistance-band-crunch/)
- **Weight plates**: [Plate Overhead Sit-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/plate-overhead-sit-up/)
- **Suspension trainer**: [Suspension Trainer Mountain Climbers](https://seto.fit/exercises/suspension-trainer-mountain-climbers/), [Supine Suspension Trainer Knee Tuck](https://seto.fit/exercises/supine-suspension-trainer-knee-tuck/)

## 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: [Reverse Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/reverse-crunch/) — 25% of bodyweight
- Easier: [Ab Wheel Pass Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/ab-wheel-crunch/) — 30% of bodyweight
- **This exercise: Straight Leg Reverse Crunch — 35% of bodyweight**
- 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 Straight Leg Reverse Crunch work?

Primary: Abs 9/10. Also works: Obliques 5/10, Lower back 3/10.

### When should I do the Straight Leg Reverse Crunch in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 6 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Straight Leg Reverse Crunch?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 1 min, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–25 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Straight Leg Reverse Crunch?

Barbell: Barbell Overhead Sit-Up. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Dead Bug, Lying Resistance Band Crunch. Weight plates: Plate Overhead Sit-Up. Suspension trainer: Suspension Trainer Mountain Climbers, Supine Suspension Trainer Knee Tuck.

### What is an easier version of the Straight Leg Reverse Crunch?

Ab Wheel Pass Crunch (30% of bodyweight), Reverse Crunch (25% of bodyweight).

### What is a harder version of the Straight Leg Reverse 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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