Weighted Plate Crunch Hands Overhead

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a weight plate with both hands, extending your arms straight back behind your head so they are nearly parallel to the floor.
3. Press your lower back firmly into the ground to eliminate any arch in your spine.

How to do it

1. Exhale and contract your abdominals to lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor, keeping your arms locked in the overhead position.
2. Focus on curling your ribs toward your hips, driving the weight plate toward the ceiling rather than forward.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower your torso back to the starting position, maintaining tension in the core.
4. Perform the movement with a controlled tempo, taking 2 seconds to rise and 2 seconds to lower.

Form checklist

• Keep your arms straight and locked behind your head throughout the entire set.
• Avoid using momentum or swinging the plate to pull yourself up.
• Maintain a small gap between your chin and chest to keep the neck neutral.
• Ensure your lower back stays in contact with the floor at all times.

Pro tips

• Visualize the weight plate as an extension of your ribcage; it should move only because your abs are contracting, not because your shoulders are moving.
• Pause for one second at the top of the movement to maximize peak contraction in the upper abdominals.

Make it harder

• Lift your feet off the floor into a 'tabletop' position (90-degree hip and knee angle) to increase lower abdominal engagement.
• Slow down the eccentric phase to 4 seconds to increase time under tension.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the weighted plate crunch hands overhead work?

The weighted plate crunch hands overhead primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the weighted plate crunch hands overhead?

The weighted plate crunch hands overhead uses weight plate.

Is the weighted plate crunch hands overhead good for beginners?

The weighted plate crunch hands overhead is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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