[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WnuSu4Td4g[/youtube]
If there is one exercise that almost always makes it on the list of the top 10 abs exercises, it is the crunch. The crunch has often been mentioned to build and tighten abs muscles. And indeed they do.
If your target is your lower abs, then reverse crunches can do so much more. Unlike the usual crunches, your upper body remains stationary and it is both legs that initiate the lift with the lower back slightly raised, providing the muscles in your lowers abs with maximum contraction. Hence, the reverse crunch also makes your quadriceps stronger due to the resistance it brings while doing it repeatedly.
To bring out the real benefits of reverse crunches, it is crucial that the legs are raised primarily because of the contraction you do with your abs muscles and not due to any movement on your upper back or spine.
Quality is highly important over quantity so controlled movements of the abs muscles must be experienced to gauge that the exercise is working for you.
Once you are able to do reverse crunches in perfect form, you will understand why this is one of the highly recommended lower abs exercises to include in your training.
Instructions
Preparation
- Lie flat on your back on the floor or an exercise bench.
- Place hands on your sides so that they are barely touching the outsides of your hips, thumbs pointing upward.
- Flex your feet so that your toes are facing the ceiling.
- Lift your legs slightly off the ground while keeping your abdominal muscles taut.
Execution
1. Lift both your legs up further with your knees slightly bent at first.
2. Lift your feet further off the ground until your hamstrings are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are at the top. Remember to keep your feet flexed and your upper body flat on the floor at all times.
Return
1. Lower your legs back down to its original position without them completely touching the floor.
Repeat
Has reverse crunch helped your abs training? In what way? Let us know by adding your comments below.