Best Ab Exercise? How to Do a Reverse Crunch Correctly

Best Ab Exercise

Despite the abundance of exercises for your abs, only a few can be considered effective. The rest are just variations. Reverse crunches are an ultimate exercise, the benefits of which cannot be overestimated.

Give this best ab exercise a try

Nevertheless, many athletes perform it incorrectly, which not only does not allow pumping the lower abdomen but also causes a lot of harm to the lower back.

In this article, we will consider everything related to the main exercise for the lower press, as well as its features and subtleties of execution. Check out how to do this best ab exercise correctly.

The advantages of reverse sit-ups

Before a detailed acquaintance with the technique, variations of execution, and other subtleties of the technique, it is important to give a correct definition of reverse twisting. This exercise is considered the main for the lower part of the press.

And although the ab itself is represented by only one muscle, it is necessary to act on it in different ways. The reason for such a frequent selection of reverse twists from the arsenal of exercises for the ab is that the lower part of the abs is almost always lagging behind.

This is due to the anatomical features, as well as the fact that most athletes pay more attention to the usual twists, sit-ups, and other movements that load the middle and upper muscles.

Therefore, if we compare ordinary twists with reverse ones, then the latter should be the priority for most athletes. They also strengthen and prepare the muscles for a more complex exercise – lifting the legs in the hang.

Reverse sit up technique and features

The classic technique for performing reverse crunches is quite simple, you need to lie on the floor or bench with your back and at the same time raise both legs until they are at the level of the navel. It is believed that this is one of the most ineffective options for implementation, which is quite far from the essence of twisting.

Best Ab Exercise How to Do a Reverse Crunch Correctly Today

Fortunately, almost no one uses it already, and equipment for high-quality movement is in almost any room. For beginners and everyone who does not have iron abs, you need to start with a technique that eliminates leg straightening.

It is important to understand that because the legs will be bent at the knees, the exercise will not get harder, it’s just one of the elements of complicating the load, which is completely unnecessary in the initial stages. The technique will look like this:

  • Lie on the floor, straighten your hands along the body and rest them on the floor
  • Bend your legs at the knees and lift up at an angle of 90 degrees. In the initial position, the thigh should look straight up, and the shin should be parallel to the horizon (the right angle at the knee)
  • Next, tighten the abdominal muscles and pulling the pelvis from the floor, while trying to pull the knees to the chest as close as possible. Feet must be held together (you can weave the feet crosswise)
  • Take a short delay at the peak point and slowly return to the starting position

In order to curl properly, you need to be able to breathe during execution. This is one of the secrets that pros have been using for many years. Inhalation must be done before the start of the movement, that is, after inhalation, it is necessary to raise the pelvis and perform twisting.

During subsequent repetitions in the set, inhalation is carried out at the end of the negative phase, when the legs have almost reached the initial position and the movement will be repeated. Exhalation must be done at the peak point, this will reduce pressure and also work out the muscles better due to maximum contraction.

Keeping breathing during the entire phase of the movement (lifting and returning the legs to the starting position) not only harms the vessels but also makes the exercise less effective.

Leg lift crunch execution variations

In bodybuilding and fitness, the most important role is played by a variety of loads, so you need to know how you can alternate and change equipment.

In the gym, the classic version of such twists is done on an inclined bench. It is comfortable, reliably fixes the back, and most importantly – allows you to focus with your hands. This is extremely important for athletes of any level, and for beginners, it is completely critical.

Only with the fixation of the hands can we achieve that the movement was carried out to a greater extent with the help of the abdominal muscles, that is, only this makes reverse twisting effective.

Without support, most of the movement will be taken by the lower back, which “does not like” this type of load.

There is also an embodiment on the floor. It is an alternative to the bench because it is better to alternate both styles. The difference in twisting is that lying on the floor, the fixation of the body is maintained by the upper back and arms.

The movement is like an athlete pushing a basin, lifting it above the floor. Also, when twisting, it is important to load not the lower back, but the abdominal muscles.

In cases where it is possible to perfectly concentrate the load on the abdominal muscles, you can also perform reverse twisting with straight legs. But it is worth remembering that this technique, although it will complicate the task and create a greater load, but will include more legs in the work because this aspect needs to be carefully monitored.

If you visit flat12.me you can find amazing sexy women body training plan! To do this, it is better to do the exercise on the bench, fixing the hands at the base (or on the Swedish wall, if the bench is attached to it).

Vertical leg crunch important tips and common mistakes

Most gym-goers do the exercise with mistakes, so the effectiveness of the exercise drops to almost zero. For starters, it’s important to understand that simply raising straight legs with the body straight when the body forms the letter L is not a twist at all. This exercise is called leg elevation. Twisting for the lower abs is performed as usual, but vice versa.

It is important to twist, trying to pull the knees to the chest, and not just lift them above the body. When you have mastered the basic technique and understood the essence of twisting in the opposite direction, you need to remember the basic rules and errors.

As practice shows, even experienced athletes make mistakes, so you must always remember how to do the movement correctly:

  • The movement must be performed slowly, feeling tension and burning in the muscles, especially in the negative phase
  • The delay at the peak point should be 0.5–1 second, no more. A longer pause can relax muscles and reduce the effectiveness
  • It is very important to monitor breathing during the exercise
  • 10-12 repetitions in the set will be enough to develop powerful lower ab
  • The head and shoulder blades should press firmly against the floor or bench. Contrary to popular belief, “pulling” the neck to the legs to improve twisting will not lead to increased efficiency, but only to problems with the cervical vertebrae
  • Before crunching, you always need to do a warm-up (pay special attention to the lower back. 1-2 sets of extensions will be useful)

Therefore, crunch slowly, sensing every centimeter of movement, and to eliminate excess fat from the abs, lean on a cardio load.

Wrap-Up

Finally, when it comes to the best ab exercise, you need to remember that no one exercise for the abs will not allow you to build a six-pack.

It can only be a diet and proper nutrition, but to develop and increase the muscles themselves in volume – this is the task of physical exercises.

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