Reverse press raises. Reverse crunches: do them right! Correct execution technique

Reverse crunches are great exercises for working your lower abdominal muscles. The exercise technique is simple and accessible even to beginner athletes, but in order to achieve maximum effects, you need to take into account a number of nuances and conduct regular training.

What muscles work?

The reverse is crunches, in which the lower body (pelvis) twists in relation to the upper body. When performing this exercise, the main work is performed by the rectus abdominis muscle, especially its lower section. Additionally, the following muscles are also loaded:

• iliopsoas;
• latissimus dorsi muscles;
• rear delta;
• synergists - iliopsoas, pectineus, sartorius, adductor and oblique muscles;
• stabilizer muscles - quadriceps, teres major, rectus femoris, triceps.

With reverse crunches, the abdominal muscles interact with the hip flexor muscles, which additionally allows you to develop acceleration from the starting position, which will help in many team sports (football, tennis, badminton), martial arts and athletics.

Execution technique

You can perform reverse crunches on the floor, with a fitness mat underneath, or on a horizontal bench. In any case, there should be a support near the head that you can clasp with your hands. Thanks to this, it will be possible to fix the upper body and do crunches precisely due to the upward movement of the hips. The edge of a bench, sofa, radiator, etc. can act as a support.

In general, the intensity of the load on the abdominal muscles is determined by the position of the arms and legs. The further the heels are located from the pelvis, and the palms from the head, the harder it is to perform the exercise. Therefore, the closer the legs are to the pelvis, the easier it is to twist. Due to this, you can adjust the level of load as the body is trained.

The step-by-step execution of reverse twists is as follows:

1. Lie down on a bench or the floor, spread your arms behind your head and clasp a support with them, for example, the edge of the bench near your forehead. You can also place your hands under your buttocks or spread them along your body.
2. Bend your knees and raise your hips to a position perpendicular to the floor, that is, they should form a 90-degree angle with the lower leg and the floor.
3. Slowly raise your legs, bringing them as close to your body as possible, with your knees moving towards your chest. The angle of the knees should be maintained throughout the entire movement.
4. When you reach the top point, slowly exhale and hold in this position for 0.5-1 second, trying to feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles as much as possible. You can mentally count to three.
5. Inhaling, slowly return to the starting position without touching the floor with your feet to maintain tension in the abdominal muscles. It is strictly forbidden to throw your feet on the floor, since in this case the exercise loses all its meaning.
6. Repeat the exercise the required number of times.

The main goal of the exercise is not just to lift the legs and pelvis, but to twist them towards the chest. When performing crunches correctly, you can feel the rectus muscle working.

Common Mistakes

In order to correctly master the technique of performing reverse crunches, you should pay attention to the most common mistakes that beginners make:

• Do not strain the pelvis. Many people simply raise their legs to the body, and then lower them, without including the pelvis in the work. This is a gross mistake, since the function of the press anatomically is to raise the pelvis, and not the legs. In this regard, when performing the exercise, you need to focus on the work of the pelvis. It needs to be raised and slightly rounded at the top point.
• They drop their legs sharply. This must be done smoothly so that the knees maintain a right angle throughout the entire trajectory of ascent and descent.
• Arched lumbar region backs. This should not be allowed, otherwise you can simply strain your back. It should be pressed tightly to the floor or inclined bench.
• Perform oblique twists. They raise their hips to the sides, and this position of the body can harm the spine and even cause injury. To prevent this, the pelvis should be twisted only in a vertical plane.
• They tear off your head. This should not be allowed, otherwise you may injure your neck. To keep your head on the floor or bench, you don't need to look at your feet all the time. You can simply look up.
• Rotate the shoulders and bring the knees closer to one or the other shoulder. In this case, the risk of curvature of the spine increases at the time of lifting the pelvis, and the intervertebral discs are already in an extremely unstable position relative to each other, being under pressure from the weight of the legs and pelvis raised upward. In order not to roll your shoulders, you need to perform all lifts and twists strictly vertically.

To achieve maximum results from crunches, consider the following tips:

• Perform the exercise at maximum amplitude, since it is more effective with strong contractions of the abdominal muscles.
• In the initial stages of training, if you have difficulty lifting your legs, not to mention twisting your pelvis, you can bend your knees, leaving short distance from the pelvis. This will lighten the load, because the closer the legs are to the chest, the easier it is to do the twisting. As your legs become trained, you should gradually straighten them.
• When performing the exercise, keep your hands on the floor or on a support, but not in the air.
• Do the crunch slowly to feel the tension in your abdominal muscles. When you reach the top point, you can further tense your muscles while holding the position for 0.5-1 second.
• Exhale when strengthening (twisting), and inhale when stretching (lowering).
• Pull your knees toward your head rather than toward your chest, which will help improve flexibility in the lumbar region. In turn, this will help improve the range of motion and stretch the lower back muscles.
• Do not lower your feet to the floor during the entire approach, as this will activate the muscles responsible for hip flexion and reduce the load on the abs.
• Hold your breath in the abdominal area to tighten the muscles and reduce the risk of injury by keeping your spine in a safe position.

By following the tips listed above, you can significantly increase the strength of your abdominal muscles, as well as more actively work your oblique abdominal muscles. If you combine training with a diet, you will be able to quickly reduce body fat and get the desired relief.

Different variants

After mastering the classic reverse crunch, you can practice different interpretations of this exercise:

• With straight legs. Unlike classic reverse crunches, in this exercise you need to keep your legs straight throughout the entire movement. So, in the initial position, you need to keep your legs suspended, and when you lift your lower back off the floor or bench, push them up, trying to reach the “ceiling” with your feet, but under no circumstances put your legs on your face.
• On a positive incline bench. You need to perform classic reverse crunches on a bench, spreading your arms behind your head and grabbing its upper edges. Thanks to the inclined position of the body, it is possible to perform twisting in a greater amplitude and increase the load on the target muscles.
• Sitting on a chair. It is practiced in a sitting position, so it can be performed even in an office environment. The reverse twist is performed in this way: sit on a chair and simultaneously pull both knees towards your shoulders, tensing your abdominal muscles. To enhance the effectiveness of the exercise, you should make a counter movement with your body towards your knees, slightly leaning forward.
• On fitball. The exercise is performed on a gymnastic ball - fitball. You need to kneel on it, lean forward and rest your outstretched palms on the floor, keeping your body weight on the ball, which should be at hip level. Keep your body straight. Begin to pull the fitball towards your chest, rolling forward with the help of your knees. Then slowly return to the starting position. When twisting, you need to straighten your back and chest as much as possible, without spreading your shoulder blades.
• With a fitball between your legs. In this case, you need to lie with your back on the floor and spread your arms along your body. Then hold the ball between your feet. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, lift the ball up toward the ceiling, twisting and lifting your lower back. Slowly return to the starting position.

Training scheme

Reverse crunches should be included in your abdominal workout as a basic exercise. Before performing them, you should definitely do a 5-minute general warm-up. Since the lumbar region is passively involved in the exercise, you should first warm it up using classic hyperextensions.

One workout should include 3-4 sets of 10-20 repetitions. After performing reverse crunches, you can perform exercises that focus more on the upper abs and obliques.

Some various exercises on the abs in combination with reverse crunches will help to more fully develop the abdominal muscles.

Warnings and contraindications

Reverse crunches are a safe exercise for people who have back problems, but if you experience any pain or discomfort during the workout, the set should be completed.

As for complete contraindications, they look like this:

• previous hernia;
• spinal injuries;
• exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases (for example, pancreatitis or ulcers).

Video: reverse crunches for women

The following video offers visual instructions for the female version of reverse crunches:

Reverse or reverse crunches help to maximally work the lower rectus abdominis muscle, creating the least amount of stress on the lower back. As your body becomes more trained, you can complicate the technique of performing the exercise, which will allow you to quickly get the desired abdominal relief.

I am glad to welcome you, my dears! On this middle day, as usual, we have a technical note, and today it will be devoted to the reverse crunch exercise. After reading, each of you will learn everything about the technique, muscle atlas and the benefits of this exercise, in addition, we will learn how to properly and effectively train the lower abs.

So, sit down, dear citizens, let's begin.

Reverse crunches. What, why and why?

Very often in the gym you can see how beginners who have just come to the gym immediately stick to the Roman bench and begin to hammer their abs for a ton of repetitions. Moreover, regardless of whether you have a belly or not, they are drawn like a magnet to various benches and press machines. On the one hand, such zeal is understandable - I want to make 1 ball 6 cubes, but the strategy is fundamentally wrong. First you need to adjust your diet, then lose weight and only then worry about how big your belly is. Moreover last works must be carried out using different exercises for all parts of the abdominal muscles, incl. lower. It’s exactly this kind of exaggeration, reverse twisting, that we’ll talk about later in the text.

Note:

For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Muscle atlas

Reverse crunches are used as the opposite of traditional crunches while lying on your back and involve bringing your legs and core closer together. This exercise focuses on working the rectus abdominis muscle and especially the lower section.

The complete muscle ensemble consists of:

• target muscle – rectus abdominis muscle;
• synergists - iliopsoas, tensor fascia lata, pectineus, sartorius, adductor long/short, oblique;
• dynamic stabilizers – rectus femoris muscle;
• stabilizers – quadriceps, pectoralis major (sternal head);
• latissimus dorsi muscles;
• large round;
• rear delta;
• long head of triceps.

In the picture version, the muscle atlas shows the following picture:

Advantages

By performing reverse crunches, you can count on the following benefits:

• general development of muscle strength;
• more isolated work compared to traditional crunches, where not only the abdominal muscles, but also the hips and back are involved in the work;
• achieving a flat stomach sooner (compared to straight crunches) due to the effect on the oblique abdominal muscles;
• avoiding pain in the lower back;
• improving posture by preventing the upper back from rounding;
• correction of lordosis;
• prevention of kyphosis;
• correction of the curve in the lower back in women that appears during pregnancy.

Execution technique

Reverse crunches are not classified as difficult to perform, but they are not without their tricks, and therefore it will be useful to go through the technique of performing it step by step.

Step #0.

Place a mat on the floor and lie on it with your back. Position your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your shins are parallel to it (bend your knees at an angle 90 degrees). Place your arms along your body, palms down. This is your starting position.

Step #1.

Inhale and as you exhale, lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs toward your chest. Lightly touch your knees to your chest and hold this contracted position for 1-2 accounts. Return to IP. Repeat the specified number of times.

In the picture version, reverse twists look like this:

In motion so...

Variations

Besides classic version The following variations are possible:

• lying on an inclined bench and lifting your legs up;
• lying on a fitball while holding the handrails of the exercise machine/bench;
• lying on the floor with a ball between your legs.

Secrets and subtleties

The exercise is not without its nuances, so for maximum effect remember:

• perform each repetition slowly and under control;
• at the end point of the trajectory, consciously squeeze your abdominal muscles;
• slowly lower your hips to the floor rather than throwing them;
• throughout the entire trajectory of movement, the angle in the knee joint should be 90 degrees;
• do not take your hands off the floor;
• avoid various deflections of the lower back, pressing it tightly to the floor;
• do not lift your head off the floor and do not look at your feet;
• inhale as you lower (stretch phase) and exhale for effort (contraction phase);
• keep the number of sets in range 3-4 , reps 12-15 .

Actually, we’re done with the theory, let’s look at some practical aspects.

Are reverse crunches effective?

Numerous studies, the main purpose of which was to identify best exercises on the abs through measurements of muscle electrical activity (EMG) confirm that reverse crunches are a very effective abdominal exercise. In particular, they are among the top 7 the best exercises to work the lower rectus abdominis muscle (lower abs).

When should you train your abs, before or after your main workout?

You can pay attention to your abs both before and after your workout. In the case of before, you will stimulate your corset and warm up slightly. It is most advisable to work the abs “before” on days of light training, and when most of the exercises are performed lying down/sitting (for example, chest and delt training day). In this case, intra-abdominal pressure increases slightly and the role of the press on such days is not so great.

It is still better to give the main load on the abs at the end of classes, otherwise the initially tired abs will not cope so effectively with their main support function. Thus, if the schedule includes exercises with a load on the lower back - squats with a barbell, deadlifts, various rows, then it is better to move the abs to the end of the workout, in a different scenario and lying-sitting exercises - to the beginning.

This was the last basic information, now let's summarize.

Afterword

Today our shelf of technical notes arrived and we got acquainted with reverse crunches. Well, for the first date to go well, you need to assign it to an exercise in gym, so take action!

That's all for now, see you again!

PS. What abdominal exercises do you use?

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it as your status social network- plus 100 points for karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Thoughts about beautiful abs captivate both men and women equally. There are certain recommendations that help to quickly and effectively pump up your lower abs. If we consider the issue from the point of view of medicine and body structure, then the so-called lower abs are formed due to the correctly pumped up rectus abdominis muscle, or rather its lower part. A properly selected complex and your determined attitude will help you achieve results in strengthening your abdominal muscles in a short period of time easily and even with pleasure.

The most effective exercises for the lower abs are various crunches.

In this case, the lower abdomen is maximally involved. To perform the exercise, lie on your back and place your palms on the floor. Raise your straightened legs to a height of 45 degrees and stay in this position for as long as possible. Then bend your legs at the knee joints and bring them towards your body.

These exercises for the lower abs must be performed in 4 sets of 10 times. With a little creativity, you will soon notice positive results!

High crunches

This variation of twisting involves performing an exercise similar to the previous one, but with the legs raised perpendicular to the body and straightened. For a deeper impact on the muscles, you can add weights that are worn on the legs.

Raising bent legs

Lie on your back, clasp your hands at the back of your head. Bend one leg at the knee and place the other heel on the knee. In this position, you need to raise both legs towards your chest as close as possible. Return to the starting position and change legs. Be careful: do not lift your lower back off the floor when pulling your legs up! Try to pull in your abdominal muscles while doing the exercise. Perform the exercise in 2 sets of 15–20 times.

Bike

The starting position is similar. Clasp your hands at the back of your head. To quickly pump up your lower abs, bend your left leg at the knee and touch it to the elbow of your right hand. This complex includes 4 sets of 10–15 repetitions. The advantage of the exercise is that in addition to the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle, the upper segments and a group of oblique muscles are involved. To perform the exercise correctly, draw in your lower abdomen with each repetition.

Airplane

Starting position: sitting on the floor. Bend your legs at the knee joints, slightly pull them towards your chest and clasp them with your arms. Then straighten your legs forward and spread your arms to the sides. Try to stay in this position for as long as possible. Then return to the starting point. It is important to ensure that your feet do not touch the floor for maximum effect. But you shouldn’t force it: cut yourself some slack if necessary.

To enhance the effect, you can use dumbbells or small plastic bottles filled with sand or water. In this case, the muscles of the chest and arms are also captured. Perform the exercise in 3 sets of 15–20 repetitions.

Crossing

Starting position as for push-ups. Then you need to lift your right leg off the floor, bend it at the knee and stretch in the direction of your left shoulder. After this, the right leg returns to its original position and the exercise is repeated with the left leg. Try to rotate your body as much as possible in the direction of twisting.

If the exercise is performed correctly, you will feel your lower abdomen tighten. Your goal: 3 sets of 20 crosses. You will achieve this quickly enough, and if you are in a creative mood, very soon. The exercise is good not only for the lower abdomen, but also affects a number of other muscles:

• muscles of the shoulder girdle and chest,
• back muscles,
• gluteal muscles,
• muscles of the lower extremities.

Leg Raising

The lower abs are well formed under the influence of leg raising exercises. So lie on your back and start doing it. The exercise can be modified by using an exercise ball or ball held between the knees. It is necessary to alternately raise your legs, reaching a perpendicular position in relation to the body, and then smoothly lower them, but do not put them on the floor. Perform 2 sets of 10–15 times.

V-shaped crunches

This exercise will answer your question about how to pump up your lower abs quickly and effectively. Starting position: lying on your back. Arms extended above head. The legs are raised to a height of 30 degrees. Place the palms of your hands on your thighs and stretch them in the direction of your toes. Strengthening the muscles in the lower abdomen will be most effective if you manage to stay in this position for as long as possible. After this, return to the starting position and relax.

Repeat the complex 3 sets 15 times. Very soon you will feel how the muscles of the lower abdomen have become more elastic and stronger. This indicates that your training is going correctly, and your most cherished thoughts about beautiful abs will soon come true!

Reinforced V-Crunches

This complex is a modification of the previous one. To perform it, you need to bend your legs at the knee joints. Don’t forget that during the exercise you need to pull in your lower abdomen and keep your muscles tense.

Scissors

This exercise is good for a muscle group inner surface thighs and lower abs. Starting position: lying on your back. Raise your legs to a height of about 30 degrees. If you succeed, lift your shoulders off the floor. Stretch your arms along your body, palms up. Important note: do not place your chin on your chest! Then start doing the exercise. Cross your legs, constantly keeping them suspended. But in the initial period of training, of course, you can pause and lower your legs to the floor, giving them rest.

As you perform the exercise, you will feel your abdominal and thigh muscles tighten. This is a good sign: you are halfway to a beautiful tummy! You need to do a couple of sets of 10 repetitions. To target a muscle group only in the lower abs, do not lift your body.

In order for your training to be as productive as possible, and the results to come quickly, listen to the following recommendations:

1. High intensity workouts. So, we figured out the question: how to pump up the lower abs. But you still need to be able to show off the earned abs in your lower abdominal muscles. And to do this, it is necessary to remove the fat layer that hides them. Therefore, in addition to exercises on the lower abdomen, it is correct to also master cardio training. Such super-intensive loads increase the metabolism in the body and trigger the process of burning fat. Their effect also has a positive effect on the overall tone of the body, the condition of blood vessels and endurance training. These include running, jumping, dancing, aerobics, and cycling.
2. Proper nutrition. It is advisable to seek the help of a nutritionist who will help you create a personal diet that will promote muscle growth and strengthening, including your lower abs. The food consumed is a kind building material your body. Therefore, without observing the principles proper nutrition your workouts will be ineffective.
3. Positive infusion. The mood in which you perform the exercises largely determines the result. Without the right mindset, your workouts will become a routine, and you will soon stop doing them. Try to find joy in your activities. Choose inspiring music, put on a tracksuit that makes your figure look as attractive as possible, do exercises with a smile, all the while keeping in mind the image you are striving for.
4. Breath. Learn to breathe evenly during exercise. Try to inhale when tense and exhale when relaxing. Proper, calm breathing will ensure the saturation of body tissues with oxygen, which not only nourishes organ cells, but also participates in many metabolic processes, including fat burning.

A set of selected exercises must be performed at least 4 times a week. Do not relax when after some time you notice the appearance of cubes on your stomach. Let this become an incentive for you to continue working, to find a new you!

Exercises called reverse crunches target and develop the anterior core muscles. With their help you will achieve a complete workout of your abdominal muscles.

The technique of this type of twisting is partly different from the classic version of the exercise and has some of its own nuances that must be taken into account before starting to perform it. After all, the key to a quality result has always been, is and will be good preparation and strict adherence to the rules for performing the reverse crunch exercise.

Features of the exercise

Responsible for the condition of your press rectus abdominis muscle, which, in addition, helps your torso curl towards your pelvis and vice versa. And as we know, all the muscles in our body have the ability to contract. In this process, absolutely all muscle bundles and fibers are involved. Since the rectus muscle is a single muscle that is not divided into upper and lower, but is only divided into segments with the help of transverse tendons, then in theory, with any type of twisting, the load should be distributed over its entire surface and, accordingly, it should swing evenly.

But it is not so. Because there are fewer nerve endings in the lower core muscles, the brain simply cannot generate enough impulses to fully contract those muscles. This explains the fact that often people’s upper abdominal muscles are more developed and have a larger volume.

This is where our friends come to our aid reverse crunches. The main difference from the classic ones is that here we pull the pelvis towards the body, and not vice versa. In other words, the same muscle is used, but in a different way, so the main load falls on the lower abdomen, which subsequently develops more strongly and takes on a more voluminous shape. In addition, this exercise involves the back and lower back.

It is best to perform reverse crunches on a bench in the gym. This way you can provide yourself correct technique and stable body position throughout the entire execution time.

In addition, these benches have support handles that both beginners and experienced athletes will definitely need. The training procedure for high-quality muscle development:

1. You should lie with your back on the floor or a special bench. Depending on this, respectively, put your hands along the body or hold them on a special support.
2. Pull your knees closer to you (so they form a 90-degree angle) and take a deep breath.
3. As you exhale, slowly lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs toward your chest.
4. At the peak moment, hold your legs in this position for a few seconds.
5. After this, slowly lower your pelvis down.

These points should be repeated as many times as possible, 3-4 approaches with a break between them of up to two minutes.

In addition, there are several rules that must also be followed:

• do crunches slowly, fully controlling your abdominal muscles;
• breathe constantly during exercise and never hold your breath because then you can get confused and lose a large number of wasted energy;
• always use the greatest range of motion to achieve greater results;
• do not bring your legs to touch the floor, otherwise you will relax your abdominal muscles, tension will subside, and the benefits of the exercise will be nullified;
• you only need to twist up and down, since inaccurate movements of the pelvis to the sides can negatively affect your further training and lead to accidental injuries and microdamages.

Among the variety of exercises for the abdominal muscles, reverse crunches occupy one of the leading positions for working the rectus abdominis muscle. The reverse twist involves lifting the legs towards the shoulder girdle. The technique for performing it is quite simple and does not require special physical training of the athlete, but there are some rules that, if you adhere to, you will achieve better results.

The peculiarity of the body is such that the lower abdomen is less penetrated by nerve fibers, which does not allow our brain to generate enough impulses to contract the muscles in this area and most of the load falls on the upper part of the abs. That is why the upper press always pumps faster and more efficiently. But if you regularly train all the abdominal muscles, the lower part will also gain definition, but it will take a little more time. One of the most effective exercises To work out the lower abdominal muscles, reverse crunches are used. It involves raising your legs to your body while lying on the floor or on a bench.

Our abs are a set of muscles that are located on the front and side surfaces of the abdomen and perform important functions that directly affect the general condition of the body as a whole. They provide protection to internal organs and maintain vertical position bodies in space, which they acquired in the process of evolution.

The following muscles are distinguished in the abdomen:

• rectus abdominis muscle- starts from the lower part of the sternum and attaches to the pubic bone, and on the sides to the ribs. It is the largest muscle and is located on top of the others. Its muscle fibers are pierced transversely by tendon bundles. It is thanks to them that the “cubes” of the press are formed. Their number and shape vary, so they look different on people. The linea alba runs through the middle of this muscle, dividing it into two halves. In women, the lower part of this muscle is more elastic and weakened than in men, due to the need to bear a fetus;
• oblique muscle- is divided into external and internal and passes from the side, attaching in the upper part to the ribs, and in the lower part to the ilium. The main function is to rotate the body and maintain body balance;
• transverse abdominis muscle- the deepest muscle, located under the rectus and oblique muscles, forming our waist. Provides abdominal retraction through isometric contraction.

During reverse crunches, the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle is most actively involved in the work; thanks to its development at different angles, a beautiful abs is formed. The obliques, back muscles and iliopsoas muscles are also actively involved.

An important point when creating beautiful abs is the number of approaches and repetitions. If the goal is to stimulate muscle development, then you can use various weights in the form of weights and perform about 20 repetitions. If you need to burn excess fat, then perform the exercise to failure without weights.

Reverse crunch technique lying on the floor

Video: reverse crunch on the floor.

1. Take a horizontal position lying on your back, stretch your arms along your body.

2. Raise your bent legs up at a right angle. Make sure your lower back is pressed firmly to the floor.

3. Inhale, hold your breath and, using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs up and towards your chest, trying to pull them as close as possible to the shoulder girdle.

4. At the top point, pause a little and exhale. The pelvis should be completely raised above the floor.

5. Continuing to tense your muscles, lower your legs to the starting position without touching the floor.

Try to perform crunches using your abdominal muscles, not your thighs. You can make the exercise more difficult by raising your head slightly. Watch your breathing, while inhaling, hold at the top point when raising your legs, then exhale. Raise your body symmetrically, avoiding skewing to the left or right.

“Reverse crunch on the floor”

“Photo of the reverse crunch technique on the floor”

Reverse twist options (video)

1. Reverse crunches on a horizontal bench.

Exercise for the muscles of both the upper and lower abdomen.

Technique:

1. Take a horizontal position on your back, lying on a bench. With your hands, grab the edge of the bench behind your head.
2. You can raise your legs or leave them standing on the floor.
3. Raise your legs bent at a right angle and, using your abdominal muscles, pull them up, trying to pull them as close as possible to the shoulder girdle.
4. Continuing to tense your muscles, slowly lower your legs to the starting position without touching the floor.
5. Perform three sets of crunches 10 times, then increase the number of repetitions.

“Reverse crunch on a horizontal bench”

“Technique for performing reverse crunches on a horizontal bench”

When performing the exercise, try to concentrate on the abdominal muscles, lower your legs smoothly and slowly, without touching the floor. Do not arch your lower back to prevent unnecessary stress on your spine.

Video: reverse crunch on a horizontal bench.

2. Reverse crunches on an incline bench.

The exercise mainly targets the muscles of the lower abdomen.

Technique:

1. Set the incline for the bench at an angle of 30-45 degrees, depending on the required level of difficulty.
2. Take a horizontal position on a bench lying on your back. With your hands, grab the edge of the bench above your head.
3. Raise your legs, slightly bent at the knees, above the floor and, using your abdominal muscles, pull them up to the vertical, lifting your pelvis and twisting it towards your chest.
4. At the top point, pause a little. The pelvis should be completely raised above the floor, and the lower back should be pressed against the bench.
5. Continuing to tense your muscles, slowly lower your legs to the starting position until they are parallel to the floor.
6. Perform three sets of crunches 10 times, then increase the number of repetitions.

“Reverse Incline Crunch”

“Technique for performing reverse crunches on a vertical bench”

With this exercise, you can adjust the load by changing the angle of the bench: the greater the angle, the more difficult. Do not do these crunches if you have problems with your spine.

Video: reverse crunch lying on a vertical bench.

3. Reverse crunches with a ball between the legs.

Exercise for the obliques and lower rectus abdominis muscles.

Technique:

1. Take a horizontal position lying on the floor, hold a fitball (gymnastic ball) between your legs with your feet and knees.
2. Place your hands under your lower back or extend them along your body.
3. Raise your legs with the ball held tightly between them upward, lifting your pelvis and pressing your lower back to the floor.
4. Pause at the top and slowly lower your feet with the ball to the starting position.
5. Perform three sets of crunches 10 times, then increase the number of repetitions.

“Reverse crunch with fitball”

“Technique for performing a reverse twist with a ball between the legs”

If you want to make the exercise more difficult, do not touch the floor with your feet when lowering your legs. Watch your breathing.

• try to always press your lower back to the floor or bench to prevent excessive stress on the spine; to make the exercise easier, you can place your palms under your buttocks;
• lower your legs smoothly and slowly;
• concentrate on the abdominal muscles, the exercises are not about lifting the legs, but about bringing the pelvis to the shoulder girdle;
• the body must be lifted symmetrically, avoiding skewing to the left and right;
• always linger for a second at the top point to give maximum stress to the muscles and work out the abs;
• follow the rhythm of your breathing to achieve the best result, inhale while ascending and only exhale after passing the most intense section;
• maintain the angle in the knee joint;
• To make it more difficult, you can use leg weights.

"Press"

“Cubes on the stomach”

All abdominal exercises are performed in combination and with multiple repetitions. You can start crunches with 10–15 repetitions of 3 sets, gradually increasing their number to 25 repetitions, after which you can focus on the quality and use of complicated variations of twists.

Having beautiful abs will not only improve your appearance, but it is also an excellent prevention of diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems. The stronger the muscles, the more actively the internal organs are supplied with blood, allowing them to perform their functions 100%.

To maintain abdominal muscles in good tone, you must perform different kinds exercises, combining them with each other, trying to activate all the abdominal muscles. Reverse crunches are a priority for pumping the muscles of the lower abs. Combine them with other types of exercises and six-pack abs won’t take long to appear!