Vertical Leg Crunches | Exercise Guide

Vertical leg crunches are a type of abdominal exercise that can help strengthen and tone the muscles in your abdomen.
- Primary muscles worked: Abs
- Secondary muscles worked: Chest, hamstrings
- Equipment: No equipment
- Calories Burned: 8 cal (1 minute)
Vertical Leg Crunches Instructions
- Lie on your back on a flat surface with your legs straight up in the air. Place your hands behind your head.
- Engage your abs and lift your upper body off the ground, bringing your elbows toward your knees.
- Lower your upper body back down and repeat the movement.
- Make sure to keep your legs straight and your lower back pressed into the ground throughout the exercise.
If you find the straight-leg version challenging, you can start with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and gradually work your way up to the straight-leg version.
As with any exercise, it’s important to listen to your body and stop if you feel any discomfort or pain.


Sets And Reps
- 2-3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions
Start by doing 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Over time, increase the number of sets and reps as you become stronger. You can increase the challenge by doing variations of crunches, like toe touchers, and bicycle crunches.
Vertical Leg Crunches Benefits
- Strengthen and tone the muscles in your abdomen.
- Improve your overall core strength and stability, which can help with everyday activities such as lifting and carrying objects.
- Strong abs can also improve your posture and reduce back pain.
Vertical Leg Crunches Variations
- Vertical Leg Cross Crunch (Bicycle Crunch)
- Alternating Vertical Leg Crunch
- Wall Crunch
Vertical Leg Crunches FAQs
How many vertical leg crunches should I do a day?
A good starting point for beginners is to do 2 sets of 10-15 reps. You can then increase the number of sets and reps as you become more comfortable with the exercise.
Are raised leg crunches good?
Raised leg crunches, also known as vertical leg crunches, are a type of abdominal exercise that can help strengthen and tone the muscles in your abdomen. This can improve your overall core strength and stability, which can help with everyday activities such as lifting and carrying objects.
Related Core Exercises
Here are some other lower body exercises that will help you strengthen, sculpt and tone your thighs, hips, legs and glutes:
- Leg raises
- Flutter kicks
- Single leg lunge
- Lunges
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