The Barbell Push Crunch strengthens the rectus abdominus a key muscle for building a strong core. The major benefits of improved core strength include:

• Improvement in posture. This will help prevent injuries, while also help improve your look aesthetically.  
• Increased strength. Improving core strength will also allow you to lift more weight in almost any other lift that you would want to do because a strong core will help you stabilize the rest of your body. This is especially important when doing multi joint lifts such as a squat or bench press.
• Reducing risk for injuries. Strengthening the body's core muscles is important for preventing potential injuries.  Weak core muscles can contribute to injuries to other parts of the body, especially the lower back. 

Having a strong core is also important for aesthetic reasons.

• Tightens physique. Building core muscles can help tighten up your physique and make you appear skinnier. 
  
• Broadens shoulders. A strong core makes people appear stronger because their shoulders will be pulled back farther causing their chest to appear bigger, rather than the "curved, humped, sloop shoulder" look which is associated with weakness. 
  

Barbell Push Crunch Summary 

• Main Muscle(s) Worked: Abdominals, Rectus Abdominis
• Other Muscles (Secondary) Worked: None
• Equipment: Incline bench, barbell
• Mechanics Type: Isolation (An exercise that involves one joint movement).
• Force: Push (Concentric contraction of the target muscle when movement is away from center of body).
• Utility: Auxiliary (An optional exercise that may supplement a basic exercise. Auxiliary exercises may place greater relative intensity on a specific muscle or a head of a muscle).

Barbell Push Crunch Target Muscles Worked  

• Rectus Abdominis

Barbell Push Crunch Synergist Muscles Worked  

• Obliques

Barbell Push Crunch Stabilizers Worked

• Pectoralis Major, Sternal
• Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
• Pectoralis Minor
• Serratus Anterior
• Triceps Brachii

Barbell Push Crunch Antagonist Stabilizers Worked   

• None

Barbell Push Crunch Correct Exercise Procedure  

• Sit on an incline bench adjusted to at least a 45 degree angle and position feet under foot pad.
• Lie down (head pointed towards floor) pull barbell from floor or grasp from rack with an overhand grip.
• Position barbell over chest with shoulder width or slightly wider grip.
• Bend at the waist to raise upper part of the torso from incline bench, keeping the lower back in contact with the bench at all times.
• Return the upper torso back to the bench until back of shoulders contact the incline bench pad.
• Repeat until the desired number of reps has been completed.

Barbell Push Crunch Tips  

By using the tips mention below will help for the muscle(s) full development by incorporating more muscle fibers per rep, thus increasing the muscle's size and strength.

• Practice proper form and control. Starting with this exercise, or any exercise you have not performed before, use light weight until you have the full range of movement with proper extension and contraction completed. This is important for the muscles full development.
• Arms straight, elbows looked. Keep your arms straight and elbows locked throughout the barbell crunch exercise. Doing this will help from using the barbell as momentum which will take the emphasis off the abdominal muscles.
• Keep barbell raised over chest. Keep barbell raised over your chest throughout the movement, do not allow barbell to drift over waist or hips.
• Keep lower back in contact with bench. Make sure to keep lower back in contact with the bench at all times to prevent hip flexors from helping with movement and the possibility of lower back strain.

Barbell Push Crunch Frequent Mistakes   

Performing the exercise improperly, often referred to as cheating, will not allow for the muscle and muscle fibers to be use their fullest potential, resulting in not achieving desired development of the muscle.

• Movement performed too fast. If movement is performed too fast, it will not allow full usage of all muscle fibers.
• Not keeping arms straight elbows looked. Not keeping your elbows locked and arms straight will allow the barbell to be use to help in this exercise.
• Not keeping barbell over chest. If you let barbell to drift over waist or hips instead of keeping barbell over the chest will allow momentum to help with exercise. Momentum will take the emphases off the abdominal muscles, therefore defeating the purpose of this exercise.
• Not keeping lower back in contact with bench. Not keeping lower back in contact with the bench will allow hip flexors to be incorporated into doing most of the work with this exercise. By not having lower back in contact with the bench you are also allowing yourself to be open for a possible lower back injury or strain.
• Limiting the range of motion. Many lifters do not go all the way down or do not squeeze at the top of the movement. If full range of motion is not use, less muscle fiber will be worked and less growth will occur.

Barbell Push Crunch Variations of Exercise or Equipment  

A variation of a specific exercise is intended to work different subgroups of muscles, or work the same muscles in slightly different ways. There are many exercise variations to this strength exercise. Some of the variations use for the Barbell Push Crunch:

• Dumbbell Push Crunch. Dumbbell push crunch is an excellent variation choice that targets the abdominals with using the same synergists and stabilizing muscles. Dumbbells maybe little more difficult to control in not allowing arms to drift apart, so strict control will be required.
• Lever Push Crunch. Some lifters prefer a more controlled movement of a machine. Lever Push Crunch is an excellent machine choice for mimicking the barbell push crunch. This exercise allows additional stabilizers Quadriceps, Deltoids and Gluteus Maximus to be incorporated.

• Standard Incline Crunch. The standard Incline Crunch is an ab exercise that also targets the Rectus Abdominus. The Standard Incline Crunch Exercise can be performed without added weight until more resistance is needed. The incline can also be elevated to increase resistance.
• Standard Crunch. The Standard Crunch is the most common abdominal exercise that targets the Rectus Abdominis with a auxiliary utility and with using a pull force. Because no equipment is required, this exercise can be done anywhere. 
• Rope Crunch. The Rope Crunch is an abdominal exercise that targets the Rectus Abdominus. Rope Crunch is most probably the single most effective ads builder ever.
  
• Hanging Leg Lifts. Hanging Leg Lifts is an exercise that primarily targets the lower abs. Hanging leg lifts also work the Rectus Abdominis with a compound mechanic, basic utility and using a pull force. Hanging Leg Lift also has several Synergists muscles use and uses the Dynamic Stabilizer Rectus Femoris.
• Weighted Incline Crunch. Weighted incline crunch will allow you to perform this exercise with a plate on your chest instead of holding barbell over your chest. Weighted incline crunch allows fewer stabilizing muscles to be incorporated.
• Advance Weighted Incline Crunch. This Weighted incline exercise is definitely for the more advance lifter. The main difference with this exercise, you are holding a plate behind your head while performing the incline crunch movement.
• Weighted Stability Ball Crunch. Weighted ball crunch is currently very popular exercise use with a pull for force oppose to push force use in the barbell push crush. The stability ball crunch is without any significant stabilizers.
• Cable Lying Stability Ball Crunch. Cable stability ball crunch works the Rectus Abdominis with a pull force and has the benefits of the cable equipment. The difference between this exercise and the weighted stability ball crunch is that many stabilizers are use when performing the cable stability ball crunch.
• Cable Standing or Kneeling Crunch. Both cable standing and kneeling crunch target the Rectus Abdominis and have identical force, mechanics, synergists, and stabilizers. 

Barbell Push Crunch Complimentary Exercises  

• Weighted Hyperextension. Hyperextensions targets the Erector Spinae (lower back) for total core strengthening.
• Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift. The Straight Leg Deadlift is one of the best exercises in targeting the Erector Spinae (lower back) with using several stabilizers, including Antagonist Stabilizers Rectus Abdominis and Obliques.
• Abdominal Vacuum. Abdominal Vacuum is an isometric exercise targeting the Transverse Abdominis (the innermost of the flat muscles of the abdomen placed immediately beneath the internal oblique muscle) and compresses and supports abdominal viscera (stomach, intestine, liver, etc.).
• Cable Side Bend. The Cable Side Bend directly targets and strengthens the obliques which is needed in total development of the body's core and abdominal structure.
• Dumbbell Side Bend. Dumbbell Side Bend is another exercise example for developing the obliques for strengthening the body's core.
• Weighted Incline Twisting Sit-up. Incline twisting sit-up is more of an advance exercise. Lying supine on incline bench you can either add more resistance by elevating the bench, adding more weight, or both. This is an excellent oblique exercise or can easily be converted to an abdominal exercise by eliminating the twist in the movement.

Bottom Line

Barbell Push Crunch is a good low-impact way to exercise the abdominal muscles. The abdomen is one of the most important muscle groups to exercise regularly. Barbell Push Crunch will not affect just your abdominal area in terms of excess fat, but also strengthen the abdominals which do much of the work in keeping the lower back aligned correctly. Most lower back pain is attributed to weak abdominal muscles. It is also important to have strong abdominals for most all motions which include common day-to-day activities.

About the Author  

Lynn Glenn