The next time you do crunches, switch it up with reverse crunches, also known as super mans. While the move may feel strange at first, it has a lot of great benefits that your standard crunch doesn’t offer. Here are just three reasons why you should be doing reverse crunches and how they benefit you.
What are reverse crunches?
Reverse crunches are a type of exercise that primarily works the lower abdominal muscles. To do a reverse crunch, lie on your back on the floor and place your hands on the floor beside you. Bring your knees in toward your chest with your feet together. Use your abs to curl your hips off the floor and towards your chest, then slowly lower them back to the starting position. Be sure not to push up with your arms or legs. Repeat this movement for desired reps.
Why should you do them?
Reverse crunches are a great way to target your lower abs, and they have a few key advantages over traditional crunches. First, they’re easier on your neck and back since you’re not curling up towards your knees. Second, they force your abs to work in a greater range of motion, which results in a more effective workout. Finally, reverse crunches help improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your lower back.
What happens if you don’t?
If you don’t do reverse crunches, you may not reap all the benefits that this type of crunch has to offer. This is because the traditional crunch works only the rectus abdominis, or the six-pack muscle. The reverse crunch, however, also targets the obliques and transverse abdominis, which are the muscles that wrap around your sides and help give you a narrower waistline. Additionally, this move can help improve your posture by strengthening your lower back.
The right way to do them.
First, lay on your back on the ground with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the floor beside you or behind your head, whichever is more comfortable. Second, exhale as you slowly lift your hips off the ground and towards your chest, contracting your abs.
Third, continue to raise your hips until they’re in line with your knees, then pause and hold for a second before slowly lowering them back to the starting position. Repeat this movement 10-15 times (or more if you’re up for it!). To increase the difficulty of this exercise, straighten one leg out while raising your hips up to touch it. Now return to the first exercise.
A variation of reverse crunches are dragon crawls where instead of lifting and lowering your body from the supine position, keep both arms extended out in front of you as you crawl forward using only your toes and forearms for balance.
Ways to make it more challenging
Reverse crunches are a great way to target your lower abs and make them stronger. Here are three ways to make reverse crunches more challenging and how they can benefit you:
- Place your hands on your hips or behind your head when performing reverse crunches. This will help you keep good form and prevent you from using momentum to cheat.
- If you want more of a challenge, try holding a weight in your hands while doing reverse crunches. Hold the weight at chest level for lighter weights, and hold it overhead for heavier weights. 3. For an even greater challenge, do one-arm arm raises during your reverse crunches. The side with the raised arm should be facing up when coming up off the ground with each crunch (so if you’re right handed, this would be left arm raised).
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3) Squats are better than lunges