Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose crunch

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose machine crunch

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want the abs to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the abs while they’re stretched

Crunch

Machine Crunch

You need

Nothing but the floor

Machine

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Machine Crunch. Loaded spinal flexion on a fixed path, easy to progress like any other machine.

Questions

Which is better for your abs, crunch or machine crunch?

For your abs, machine crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the abs.

Is crunch or machine crunch easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do crunch or machine crunch at home?

Crunch needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Machine crunch needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, crunch or machine crunch?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Crunch Machine Crunch All abs exercises

Crunch vs Machine Crunch

For your abs, machine crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the abs.

Research score

Target tension

Strong

Excellent

Loaded stretch

Fair

Good

Progression

Weak

Excellent

Low cost

Excellent

See the full abs ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose crunch

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose machine crunch

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want the abs to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the abs while they’re stretched

Crunch

Machine Crunch

You need

Nothing but the floor

Machine

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Machine Crunch. Loaded spinal flexion on a fixed path, easy to progress like any other machine.

Questions

Which is better for your abs, crunch or machine crunch?

For your abs, machine crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the abs.

Is crunch or machine crunch easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do crunch or machine crunch at home?

Crunch needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Machine crunch needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, crunch or machine crunch?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.