Reverse Crunches can be a better use of your time that traditional Crunches.
Traditional crunches place unnecessary stress on your spine. Reverse Crunches are more efficient and intuitive than traditional Crunches. They can help you build a strong core and a strong body while avoiding the dangers of the Crunch. This powerful ab exercise should be part of your daily routine.
How to perform the Reverse Crunch
The Reverse Crunch can be done in many ways. Dr. John Rusin is a physical therapist and strength coach who also owns DrJohnRusin.com. He recommends this method because it maximizes muscle tension while minimizing pain.
RELATED: Why the Ab Rollout is one of the Best Core Exercises Ever
Setup: Place your legs parallel to the ground on a bench. You can place a foam roller between your calves and hamstrings. Grab the edge of the bench with your hands and place them over your head.
Action: Contract your abdominal muscles to forcefully lift your butt off of the bench. Also, raise your knees above your chest. For one to two seconds, hold this position with maximum ab contraction. Slowly lower your back to the original position so that your butt is on a bench and your thighs perpendicular the ground. For a step-by–step guide, see the pictures below:
Coaching Points
* Push your calves as hard as possible into the foam roller.
* Lift your knees towards the ceiling to target your abs before you bring them in.
* Slowly perform each rep.
* Keep your knees straight to protect your back.
Sets/Reps 3x Common Mistakes
Although the Reverse Crunch may seem simple, it is very beneficial.
The most common mistake is to lower your knees too quickly. Hyperextension of the lumbar spine (a.k.a. Rusin considers this dangerous. Rusin says that if you can control the lowering portion of the rep, you won’t have to reach hyperextension of your lumbar spine (arched higher back), which I consider more dangerous than hyperflexion (rounded lower back).
When you do the exercise correctly and at the right pace, it will move from the t-spine, rib cage, and not the lumbar spine as in a traditional Crunch. This is an example of how it can look when done too fast. It causes hyperextension of your lumbar spine.
Before you lift your knees towards the ceiling, it’s important to bring your knees in toward your body. This is the best way to increase the effectiveness of the exercise, as it targets your abdominals more effectively. This is an example of how it looks if you don’t bring your knees towards the ceiling before bringing them inside.
It doesn’t look any less effective, does it?
Last, don’t drive your calves too hard into the foam roller. Before you push the foam roller in, make sure it is just below your knees. The foam roller should feel tension in your lower body. This creates a controlled movement, stabilizes the lumbar spine, and allows for stronger ab contractions. Although you can do the movement with a foam roller, it is much easier and more efficient to use one.
Muscles Worked
The Reverse Crunch is a great exercise for all major abdominal muscles.
The rectus abdominis, which is the large muscle that forms the ridges in a six pack, is the primary mover. Although it appears to be six or eight muscles, the rectus abdominalis is one muscle. The entire muscle can be worked out using reverse crunches, but the emphasis is on the lower part. The obliques are secondary muscles. They are located on either side the rectus abdominalis and the tranverse abdominalis. These muscles are the deepest and most important of all abdominal muscles and have the function of stabilizing the spine, core, and other vital organs.
RELATED: Your posture is killing your performance Here’s how to fix it
Benefits Of Reverse Crunches
Reverse Crunches are a great alternative to traditional Crunches. They will torch your abs and you don’t have to do too many reps.
Slowly and controlled, you can bring your butt off of the ground and hold it there. Then, control your descent by contracting your abs. One of the keys to muscle building is high intensity, long-lasting training. Rusin says that it feels like you’ve been kicked in your stomach a few times after doing them. Reverse Crunches don’t twist your spine back and forth like traditional Crunches if they are done correctly.
The Reverse Crunch can be a great way of building muscle and getting those shredded abs that you have been imagining, but the bulk of your core workout should still include stability exercises such as Rollouts, Side Planks and Rollouts. Stability exercises provide the core strength you need to increase power and control your body in sport or in the weight room. The Reverse Crunch is a great way to get amazing abs. It is best to do it once per week, in addition to other core exercises. It is a bonus and not a replacement.
Reverse crunches are possible for anyone.
The Reverse Crunch may not be for everyone. You should avoid the Reverse Crunch if you suffer from back pain. If you don’t have a solid foundation of core stability, it’s a good idea to work on that first before you start incorporating Reverse Crunches into you routine.
RELATED: 6 Everyday Stretches for People Who Sit Too Much
The Reverse Crunch is a great abdominal exercise if you’re able to be on your feet for most of the day, as opposed to sitting at a computer all day. This exercise builds your lower abdominal muscles, which is a problem area for many people. It also places less stress on your back that traditional Sit-ups and Crunches.
Rusin states, “This is a great exercise for the non-symptomatic athlete/lifter (one who has no back pain) if you are able to go slow and controlled.” Before you can develop dynamic stability, master dead bugs and similar exercises.
The Reverse Crunch Core Circuit
Reverse crunches should not be done more than once per week. Instead, you can use this core circuit to complete a workout once per week.
You can add Reverse Crunches twice a week to your core training. Begin with eight to ten reps. You can increase the reps if you have a strong core. Between sets, take a few seconds to rest. Once you have a good sense of your core strength, adjust the number of reps for each set to suit you.
* Rollouts
* Pallof Presses
* Reverse Crunches
Sets/Reps: 2-8-10 for each exercise in the circuit
Photo Credit: Nastco/iStock/Thinstock, jacoblund/iStock/Thinkstock
Reverse Crunches can be a better use of your time that traditional Crunches.
Traditional crunches place unnecessary stress on your spine. Reverse Crunches are more efficient and intuitive than traditional Crunches. They can help you build a strong core and a stronger body without the dangers of the Crunch. This powerful ab exercise should be part of your daily routine.
How to perform the Reverse Crunch
The Reverse Crunch can be done in many ways. Dr. John Rusin is a physical therapist and strength coach who also owns DrJohnRusin.com. He recommends this method because it maximizes muscle tension while minimizing pain.
RELATED: Why the Ab Rollout is one of the Best Core Exercises Ever
Setup: Place your legs parallel to the ground on a bench. You can place a foam roller between your calves and hamstrings. Grab the edge of the bench with your hands and place them over your head.
Action: Contract your abdominal muscles to forcefully lift your butt off of the bench. Also, raise your knees above your chest. For one to two seconds, hold this position with maximum ab contraction. Slowly lower your back to the original position so that your butt is on a bench and your thighs perpendicular the ground. For a step-by–step guide, see the pictures below:
Coaching Points
* Push your calves as hard as possible into the foam roller.
* Lift your knees towards the ceiling to target your abs before you bring them in.
* Slowly perform each rep.
* Keep your knees straight to protect your back.
Common Mistakes in Sets/Reps
Although the Reverse Crunch may seem simple, it is very beneficial.
The most common mistake is to lower your knees too quickly. Hyperextension of the lumbar spine (a.k.a. Rusin considers this dangerous. Rusin says that if you can control the lowering portion of the rep, you won’t have to reach hyperextension of your lumbar spine (arched higher back), which I consider more dangerous than hyperflexion (rounded lower back).
When you do the exercise correctly and at the right pace, it will move from the t-spine, rib cage, and not the lumbar spine as in a traditional Crunch. This is an example of how it can look when done too fast. It causes hyperextension of your lumbar spine.
Before you lift your knees towards the ceiling, it’s important to bring your knees in toward your body. This is the best way to increase the effectiveness of the exercise, as it targets your abdominals more effectively. This is an example of how it looks if you don’t bring your knees towards the ceiling before bringing your abdominals in.
It doesn’t look any less effective, does it?
Last, don’t drive your calves too hard into the foam roller. Before you push the foam roller in, make sure it is just below your knees. The foam roller should feel tension in your lower body. This creates a controlled movement, stabilizes the lumbar spine, and allows for stronger ab contractions. Although you can do the movement with a foam roller, it is much easier and more efficient to use one.
Muscles Worked
The Reverse Crunch is a great exercise for all major abdominal muscles.
The rectus abdominis, which is the large muscle that forms the ridges in a six pack, is the primary mover. Although it appears to be six or eight muscles, the rectus abdominalis is one muscle. The entire muscle can be worked out using reverse crunches, but the emphasis is on the lower part. The obliques are secondary muscles. They are located on either side the rectus abdominalis and the tranverse abdominalis. These muscles are the deepest and most important of all abdominal muscles and have the function of stabilizing the spine, core, and other vital organs.
RELATED: Your posture is killing your performance Here’s how to fix it
Benefits Of Reverse Crunches
Reverse Crunches are a great alternative to traditional Crunches. They will torch your abs and you don’t have to do too many reps.
Slowly and controlled, you can bring your butt off of the ground and hold it there. Then, control your descent by contracting your abs. One of the keys to muscle building is high intensity, long-lasting training. Rusin says that it feels like you’ve been kicked in your stomach a few times after doing them. Reverse Crunches don’t twist your spine back and forth like traditional Crunches if they are done correctly.
The Reverse Crunch can be a great way of building muscle and getting those shredded abs that you have been imagining, but the bulk of your core workout should still include stability exercises such as Rollouts, Side Planks and Rollouts. Stability exercises provide the core strength you need to increase power and control your body in sport or in the weight room. The Reverse Crunch is a great way to get amazing abs. It is best to do it once per week, in addition to other core exercises. It is a bonus and not a replacement.
Who can perform reverse crunches?
The Reverse Crunch may not be for everyone. You should avoid the Reverse Crunch if you suffer from back pain. If you don’t have a solid foundation of core stability, it’s a good idea to work on that first before you start incorporating Reverse Crunches into you routine.
RELATED: 6 Everyday Stretches for People Who Sit Too Much
The Reverse Crunch is a great abdominal exercise if you’re able to be on your feet for most of the day, as opposed to sitting at a computer all day. This exercise builds your lower abdominal muscles, which is a problem area for many people. It also places less stress on your back that traditional Sit-ups and Crunches.
Rusin states, “For non-symptomatic athletes or lifters (one without back pain), this exercise is great if you are able to go slow and controlled.” Before you can develop dynamic stability, master dead bugs and similar exercises.
The Reverse Crunch Core Circuit
Reverse crunches should not be done more than once per week. Instead, you can use this core circuit to complete a workout once per week.
You can add Reverse Crunches twice a week to your core training. Begin with eight to ten reps. You can increase the reps if you have a strong core. Between sets, take a few seconds to rest. Once you have a good sense of your core strength, adjust the number of reps for each set to suit you.
* Rollouts
* Pallof Presses
* Reverse Crunches
Sets/Reps: 2-8-10 for each exercise in the circuit
Photo Credit: Nastco/iStock/Thinstock, jacoblund/iStock/Thinkstock
