Beauty

Benefit exercises

Reverse crunches are considered basic exercises for developing abdominal muscles. Almost the entire abdominal press takes part in this exercise, but especially its lower part. Due to the nature of this exercise, the abdominal muscles interact very closely with the hip flexors. And the coordinated work of the abdominal muscles and the muscles that flex the hip directly affects the speed and mobility of the athlete, which is very important in almost any sport.

Reverse crunch technique

Correct execution technique:

1. Lie on the bench with your back, and grab the upper edge of the bench with your hands, or you can put them along the body. Bend your knees so that your thighs are perpendicular to the bench and hold this position. This is the starting position.

2. Inhale, hold your breath, and, tensing your abdominal muscles, gently pull your knees as close to your chest as possible.

3. At the top of the movement, exhale and return to the starting position without touching the bench with your heels so that the abdominal muscles remain in some tension during the entire exercise.

4. Perform the required number of repetitions.

It is important:

At the top of the movement, in order to contract your abdominal muscles as much as possible, you must completely tear your pelvis off the bench.

Pull your knees not to your head, but to your chest. This increases the effectiveness of the exercise.

During the exercise, try not to unbend your legs, as you remove part of the load from the abdominal muscles in favor of the leg muscles.

Keep your hands on the edge of the bench — this helps to keep the body in a stable position.

Do not tilt your body during the exercise, otherwise you may injure your spine. By tilting the body to the side, you bend the spine, besides, you do it in an unstable position and under the influence of the weight of the lower half of the body.

Do not lower your feet at the bottom of the movement to the bench until the end of the exercise, otherwise the load on the abdominal press is reduced.

Holding your breath while lifting your legs allows you to tighten your abdominal muscles more, which increases the effectiveness of the exercise and reduces the likelihood of spinal injury.

Twisting Options

• Twisting
• Twisting on the floor
• Twisting on a Roman chair
• Twisting on a bench with an inclination down
• Twisting on the upper block
• Oblique twists

Muscles Worked When Performing Reverse Crunches

• rectus abdominis
• oblique abdominal muscles (internal and external)

Alternative exercises

• Hanging leg raises
• Tilts to the side

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