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Step 1
Realize that reverse crunches work the lower portion of your abdominals, while regular crunches work the upper part.
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Step 2
Start by lying on your back with your legs perpendicular to the ground, knees very slightly bent and feet in the air, crossed at the ankles.
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Step 3
Keep your arms on the floor next to you or place them comfortably behind your head.
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Step 4
Rest your head on the floor, relax your shoulders and keep your back straight.
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Step 5
Slowly lift your hips 1 to 2 inches off the floor, which will raise your legs and feet a few inches higher. Avoid rolling your hips backward and thus bending your back.
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Step 6
Hold this position for just a moment. Squeeze your abdominal muscles and keep your head and shoulders flat against the floor.
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Step 7
Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Ball roll outs are a way to incorporate an exercise or stability ball into your abdominal exercise routine… More
Comments
doorsbydavid said
on 8/19/2008 i wonder if that would help with hernias
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Since spinal flexion is the primary function of the abdominal muscles (abs), any exercise must focus on this (while trying to minimize the effect of the much stronger hip flexors). To do this, the angle between the thighs and the lower torso should remain fairly constant throughout the movement. The common advice about bringing the knees in towards the chest is wrong. This involves hip rotation and the hip flexor muscles. The reverse crunch (done properly) is a far more difficult exercise that most people imagine. I am in the process of developing a piece of equipment that will facilitate the correct execution of this exercise, which is the very best of all abdominal exercises.
In addition, the most effective way to do a crunch is by lying on an Ab-Mat with the legs straight. This also minimizes the action of the hip flexors.