Reverse Crunches

A Big Lower Ab Workout In A Small Movment

Reverse Crunches are an excellent exercise to work the lower abs.  Like all good ab exercises, technique is the key, so concentrate on the abs throughout this movement.

There are really two different movements that call themselves reverse crunches.  Actually there are even more than that, but these two are the legitimate ones.  The starting position for both is lying on your back on a mat with your hands either behind your head or at your sides.  Your thighs are at a 90 degree angle with the floor. 

Then they get different.

I will go through the two techniques in more detail, but in a nutshell, one involves lifting the hips off the floor slightly and raising the knees toward the ceiling.  The other involves lifting your head and shoulders off the floor and bringing your knees to your head.

They’re both great exercises as long as you concentrate on what you are doing.  Personally I like the first one better.  It seems to isolate the lower ab muscles better for me, and the hip flexors really can’t come into play. 

Technique

Reverse Crunch 1:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands either on the floor or behind your head.
• Lift your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are bent at 90 degrees.
• Keep your head and neck in line with your spine.  Do not tuck your chin.
• Contract your abs as if you’re about to get punched in the gut.
• Exhale and pull your knees toward the ceiling, raising your hips slightly off the floor.
• Hold for a count.
• Inhale and return your legs and hips to the starting position.
  

Reverse Crunch 2:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head.
• Lift your legs so the thighs are perpendicular to the floor.  The knees are bent at more than 90 degrees but the heels are off the floor.
• Lift your head and shoulders off the floor.  Do not tuck your chin to your chest.
• Contract your abs.
• Exhale and pull your knees toward your head.  Focus on using the abs and nothing else.
• Keep your upper body stationary.  Don’t drop the head and shoulders back to the floor.
• Inhale and return your legs to the starting position.  Don’t let your thighs go past vertical.  That could cause two things you don’t want.  First, you will start using your hip flexors instead of your abs.  Second, when you get tired, your lower back will tend to arch.
• There really doesn’t need to be much movement at all.  If you are focused on the abs, just a few inches from your head back toward the starting position is all you need.
  

Keep In Mind...

• Don’t use momentum to move your legs.  Keep your movements slow and controlled.  Slow and controlled – no rocking or swinging the legs.  Focus on your abs.
• This is a very small movement so you really have to pay attention to what you’re doing to get the benefit.
• Breathe.  Don’t hold your breath.  There are big benefits to breathing in and out while your abs are under strain.
• Don’t interlock your fingers behind your head.  Keep the fingers spread out and support your head like it’s a ball.
• If you have your hands behind your head, keep your elbows wide.  Do not pull them in toward your knees.
• Do not tuck your chin to your chest.

Modifiers

There are other similar exercises you can do that call themselves reverse crunches. 

Counter Weight:

Lie in the starting position with your arms extended out on the floor past your head.  Hold on to a counter weight.  The counter weight will keep your head and shoulders on the ground.  Bring the knees toward your head.

You really have to guard against swinging the legs and using momentum in this variation.  You also have to concentrate that much more on not allowing your legs to return past the starting position.  Again, that can cause you to use your hip flexors or worse, arch and strain your lower back.

Instead of using a counterweight, you can also use a bench if you’re in the gym.  Just lie on the bench and hold onto it on either side of your head.  Then do the same movement described above.

When you start getting stronger, start doing the same movement without holding on to a counter weight.  Use ALL abs.

This Website Is Powered By SBI!