{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Crunches With Legs Up",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Toe Touch Crunch",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Legs-Up Crunch",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Toe Reach",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-abdominis",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "external-oblique",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "internal-oblique",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "iliopsoas",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-femoris",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "thoracic-spine",
        "actions": [
          "flexion"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "lumbar-spine",
        "actions": [
          "flexion"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "calisthenics",
      "hypertrophy"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "spinal-flexion"
    ],
    "mechanics": "isolation",
    "force": "pull",
    "kinetic_chain": "open",
    "laterality": "bilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "dynamic"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": []
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "174"
  },
  "id": "oec:vertical-leg-crunch",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Lie flat on your back on a mat.",
      "Raise your legs straight up toward the ceiling so your hips are flexed at approximately ninety degrees.",
      "Extend your arms upward toward your feet or place your fingertips lightly behind your ears without pulling on your neck."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Contract your abdominals to curl your upper torso upward, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor.",
      "Reach your hands toward your toes or ankles at the peak of the contraction.",
      "Pause briefly at the top to fully squeeze the abdominals.",
      "Lower your upper back smoothly toward the floor under control without letting your lower back arch or legs drop."
    ],
    "breathing": "Exhale as you curl up and reach toward your feet; inhale as you lower back down.",
    "cues": [
      "Ribs to hips.",
      "Reach up, not forward.",
      "Keep legs steady over hips."
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Swinging the legs back and forth to generate momentum.",
        "correction": "Keep the hips stacked at ninety degrees and hold the legs motionless throughout the movement."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Pulling on the head and yanking the cervical spine.",
        "correction": "Keep the neck neutral with the chin slightly tucked, focusing on lifting the chest with the abdominals."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Maintain a slight bend in the knees if tight hamstrings prevent holding the legs perpendicular to the floor."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "load": {
      "convention": "not-applicable",
      "kind": "bodyweight"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "reps"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe",
          "tempo"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {},
    "reps_counted": "total"
  },
  "name": "Vertical Leg Crunch",
  "previous_ids": [
    "oec:crunches-with-legs-up"
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "generated": [
      "/name",
      "/summary",
      "/classification",
      "/anatomy",
      "/equipment",
      "/measurement",
      "/instructions",
      "/setup",
      "/relations"
    ],
    "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
    "review": {
      "status": "machine-generated",
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "at": "2026-10-31"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "wger: Crunches With Legs Up",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/174/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "krisbbb"
      }
    ]
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "type": "variation-of",
      "target": "oec:crunch"
    },
    {
      "type": "progression-of",
      "target": "oec:crunch"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:crunch"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:reach-up-crunch"
    }
  ],
  "setup": {
    "position": "supine"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A supine bodyweight abdominal exercise where the legs are held extended vertically while flexing the spine to lift the shoulder blades off the floor."
}