PERFECT YOUR CRUNCHES - CRITICAL WEIGHT TRAINING SKILL By Coach Bob Takano. The athlete should begin by lying supine while resting the lower legs on a flat bench such that the thighs are perpendicular to the floor. The hands can be clasped behind the head or the arms can be crossed over the chest at the beginning of the movement. The athlete then proceeds to curl the torso through a contraction of the abdominal muscles. The focus of the exercise should be to learn to fire to these muscles as they will serve the important function of stabilizing the torso during both the pull and overhead support.