Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Seated Crunch with Soft: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever seated crunch is an abdominal exercise performed on a leverage machine. It targets the abs, with secondary emphasis on the obliques and hip flexors. The movement involves crunching forward against resistance, making it a controlled and effective core strengthening exercise.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Obliques , Quads
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever seated crunch with soft
Front view: muscles worked by the lever seated crunch with soft. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever seated crunch with soft. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever seated crunch with soft

  1. Step 1: Sit on the leverage machine with your back against the pad and your feet secured under the footpads.
  2. Step 2: Place your hands on the handles or the sides of the seat for support. Emphasize soft control.
  3. Step 3: Engage your abs and slowly crunch forward, bringing your chest towards your knees.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your abs.
  5. Step 5: Slowly return to the starting position, allowing your back to round slightly.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever seated crunch with soft by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Lever Seated Crunch with Soft alternatives

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.