Exercise

Weighted Crunch (behind Head)

Also works: Lower Back, Shoulders

How to do it

1. Lie on a flat bench with knees bent, feet flat, and lower back lightly pressed into the bench.
2. Grip a small plate with both hands and place it behind your head at the base of the skull; keep elbows slightly in and avoid pulling on the neck.
3. Brace your core and exhale as you curl your upper spine off the bench, bringing ribs toward pelvis; keep the chin gently tucked.
4. Pause briefly when shoulder blades are just off the bench, maintaining tension in the abs.
5. Inhale and lower your torso back down under control until shoulder blades touch, without relaxing the core.
6. Keep movement small and segmental (about 15–30° of spinal flexion), and use a load you can control without pulling with the arms.

In FYL you log the Weighted Crunch (behind Head) as weighted bodyweight — every set counts toward your volume, PRs and XP.