Show your abs some love and take our crunch challenge! Perfect for those new to strength training, the plan is short and sweet — it takes just a few minutes each day for the next two weeks. At the end, you’re sure to notice stronger, more defined abs. Instead of doing basic crunches, this challenge involves five crunch variations to target different areas of your midsection.
Here’s the 14-day plan created by ACE health coach and NASM-certified personal trainer Brittany Noelle, followed by instructions for the five different variations. Noelle said, “The purpose of this Crunch Challenge is to help strengthen your core so that you’re at less risk of injury when exercising.” It’s not advised to skip right to day 14 (if you want to be able to laugh the next day without rolling over in pain), so follow the plan and adjust it as needed according to your schedule and ability level. Noelle said you can do other workouts while doing this Crunch Challenge, and it would be a great finisher for any workout.
2-Week Crunch Challenge
Equipment needed: none
Directions: After warming up with a few minutes of walking or jogging in place, perform all five crunch variations for the designated amount of reps and sets per day. For the runner’s crunch and the bicycle crunch, perform the same number of reps on each side (so if the plan says 10 reps, complete 10 reps per side for 20 reps total). After each day’s workout, NASM- and ACE-certified celebrity trainer Beth Alexander recommended balancing out all the crunch work with Sphinx pose, a glute-bridge hold, a back-extension hold, and a kneeling hip-flexor and psoas stretch.
- V-up
- Runner’s crunch
- Reverse crunch
- Diamond sit-up
- Bicycle crunch
| Day | Reps |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | 8 reps of each |
| Day 2 | 8 reps of each |
| Day 3 | 10 reps of each |
| Day 4 | 10 reps of each |
| Day 5 | 12 reps of each |
| Day 6 | 12 reps of each |
| Day 7 | Rest |
| Day 8 | 14 reps of each |
| Day 9 | 14 reps of each |
| Day 10 | 16 reps of each |
| Day 11 | 16 reps of each |
| Day 12 | 18 reps of each |
| Day 13 | 18 reps of each |
| Day 14 | 20 reps of each |
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