abdominals
Bent Knee Reverse Crunch
Lying on your back with your knees bent in the air, you curl your hips up off the floor toward your chest. Works the lower part of your stomach.
beginnermat
BEFORE YOU START1
- Find a flat spot.
HOW TO DO IT
Get into position
- Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down.
- Lift your feet off the floor and bend your knees to a right angle.
- Press your lower back gently into the floor.
Check: Your knees are bent above your hips, your hands are flat on the floor, and your lower back is down.
Curl your hips up
- Tighten your stomach and curl your hips up off the floor, bringing your knees toward your chest.
- Hold for a second at the top.
Check: Your hips are a few inches off the floor and your knees are over your chest; you did not swing your legs.
Lower slowly
- Lower your hips slowly back to the floor without letting your feet touch down.
Check: Your hips are back on the floor and your knees are still above them.
That is one rep. Repeat for your set.
Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; pause; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.
MUSCLES WORKED
abs
Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.
COMMON MISTAKES3
- Swinging the legs to lift the hips. Momentum does the work. Fix: Move slowly; the stomach lifts the hips, the legs just ride along.
- Pushing hard on the floor with the hands. Fix: Keep the hands light; they are only for balance.
- Arching the lower back as the legs come down. Fix: Keep the lower back pressed into the floor; stop short if it arches.
SAFETY1
- Keep the movement small and controlled.
RELATED EXERCISES
harder: hanging leg raise
variants: crunch
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