Exercise guide
Tabletop Reach And Crunch
- Beginner
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Lower arms
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Waist
This exercise builds core stability and posterior chain strength by challenging balance while engaging the abdominals through a functional crunching motion. It effectively targets the glutes and shoulders during the extension phase and the rectus abdominis and obliques during the contraction.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Start on all fours in a quadruped position with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Maintain a neutral spine and neck by looking at the floor about 6 inches in front of your hands.
- Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your pelvis.
How to do it
- Simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg backward until they are parallel to the floor, exhaling as you reach.
- Inhale and draw your right elbow and left knee toward each other under your torso, rounding your mid-back to maximize the abdominal crunch.
- Exhale and extend the arm and leg back out to the straight position with control.
- Return to the starting tabletop position and repeat the sequence on the opposite side, alternating for the duration of the set.
Form checklist
- Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor throughout the entire movement.
- Avoid arching your lower back excessively when extending your leg; focus on glute engagement instead.
- Move with a slow, controlled tempo (2 seconds out, 2 seconds in) to maintain balance.
- Ensure your supporting hand is pushing actively into the floor to avoid collapsing into the shoulder.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'lengthening' your body from fingertips to heel rather than just lifting your limbs high.
- Imagine a glass of water resting on your lower back that you must not spill as you transition between the reach and the crunch.
- Pause for one second at the peak of the extension to maximize the mind-muscle connection with the glutes and erector spinae.
Make it harder
- Perform all repetitions on one side before switching to increase the time under tension for the stabilizing muscles.
- Hover the resting knee one inch off the ground throughout the movement to significantly increase the core and shoulder stability demand.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the tabletop reach and crunch work?
- The tabletop reach and crunch primarily targets the abs, erector spinae, and obliques, and also works the serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the tabletop reach and crunch?
- The tabletop reach and crunch requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the tabletop reach and crunch good for beginners?
- Yes. The tabletop reach and crunch is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
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