Exercise prayer: twisting technique on the upper crossover block

“Prayer” or straight twisting on a vertical block is an abdominal exercise for those who want real relief. The problem with crunches on the floor, exercise ball and bench is that they are difficult to achieve progression of working weights and muscle hypertrophy. People have been rocking their abs these ways for years, but their stomach just remains flat with just a hint of a six-pack. Cable crunches help load the core of the body, allowing for progression of weights. It builds “cubes” quite quickly. Therefore, movement is included in bodybuilding programs on an ongoing basis. But it is also used in strength sports. This is almost the only abdominal movement that can create a level of load at which the rectus abdominis muscle will prepare for the tension created when performing heavy basic exercises.

The benefits and disadvantages of crunches on the upper block

• The prayer exercise, due to its wide amplitude, allows you to work out the abdominal muscles with great efficiency.
• Develops stabilizer muscles.
• Thanks to the weight plates of the block, the athlete can change the load over a wide range.
• This exercise is considered safe, so it can be included in the training process even for those people who have problems with the spine, but such people must consult a doctor before training.

If there are no contraindications to performing the prayer, and the execution technique is not violated, the exercise is absolutely harmless to the athlete’s health. Of course, you don’t need to use a lot of weight without warming up, even at the beginning of your sports journey.

Follow the correct trajectory. Contraindications to performing this exercise may include diseases of the spine and abdominal organs.

Common Mistakes

When performing the “abs prayer” exercise, trainees often make mistakes that lead to it not giving the expected result:

• Performing regular bends, not “prayer.” This leads to stress on the back, while the abs practically do not work.
• Perform the movement with a straight back. As in the previous case, the entire load will transfer from the abs to the spine. The back should be slightly rounded. A bent position is not allowed, especially in the lower back.
• Hand strain. Many people try to pull weight with their upper limbs. There is no need to do this, since they must exclusively hold the handle in the forehead area. If this is not taken into account, then the triceps and latissimus dorsi muscles will work instead of the abs. You need to keep your hands motionless, feeling the contraction in the press.
• Touching your forehead to the floor. There is no need to bend over too much. This will not give a better result in any case.
• Abdominal relaxation. This cannot be done during the entire movement.
• Lowering with jerks, swinging. This is a violation of the exercise technique.
• Using excessive weights. Firstly, it can lead to various injuries. Secondly, too much weight will be pulled upward, which will prevent you from performing the training correctly.
• Perform the exercise at the beginning or middle of your workout. Like other abdominal exercises, “prayer” should be given a place at the very end.
• Lack of other types of exercise. Of course, to work out your abs, you can only do “prayer.” However, it will be more effective if other movements are added to the training (twisting on a bench, lifting the lower limbs while hanging).
• Movement of the hips. This cannot be done, as the load is transferred to the hip flexor muscles.
• Partial contact of the shins with the floor. They must lie completely on the surface. This will provide good stability and allow you to focus on movement.

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the training does not have strict contraindications. However, athletes with diastasis are advised to consult a doctor first. If he nevertheless prohibits this exercise, then it can be replaced with crunches using an expander. A wide range of rubber bands allows you to control the load.

What muscles work

During prayer, the rectus abdominis muscle works, but its upper part receives the main load. During the prayer exercise, the following muscles receive load:

• Rectus abdominis muscle.
• Back extensor and lumbar muscles.

Anatomy of the press

We will not go into this issue too much, but there are some points that we need to know.

• The abs are one flat muscle. In bodybuilding, it is conventionally divided into two zones: upper and lower. But when performing any exercise, it is all involved in the work. Of course, you can shift the focus a little to any of the areas. To engage more of the lower part, we will bring the pelvis towards the chest. I already wrote about this in the article “BEST EXERCISES FOR LOWER PRESS“. If you haven't read it, I also advise you to familiarize yourself with it. To work the upper abs, vice versa, the chest towards the pelvic area.

• The abs are the central muscle. It is constantly in sight and occupies a central position in our body. If it looks bad, all the other muscles will also look bad. For example, the pectoral muscles look better when the abs are visible.
• The main fiction of the press is bringing the chest to the pelvis.
  That is, everyone knows the word twisting the body. When performing, we must mentally imagine two points. One in the center just below the pectorals, and the other at the very bottom 10 centimeters below the navel. And our main task will be to bring these two points to each other.

Also, abdominal muscles have a positive effect on our health:

• Reducing intra-abdominal pressure. This has a positive effect on breathing. And everyone knows that proper breathing improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Developed abdominal muscles will help you increase weight in basic exercises, especially those performed standing or sitting. After all, everyone knows that the muscles of the back and abdomen hold our spine and the stronger they are, the easier it is for us to hold heavy equipment. How does this relate to health, you ask? Yes, very simple. Everyone knows that working with heavy weights carries with it danger and the possibility of injury. And so our chances of earning them will become less.
• And of course, scientists have proven that exercises for the abdominal muscles help in the treatment of many diseases. Such as: gastritis, stomach ulcers, liver problems, etc.

I recommend that you pay a lot of attention to this area.

Technique for performing the prayer exercise while sitting on your knees

The exercise is performed as follows:

1. The athlete takes a position on the block on his knees. In his hands is a handle-rope.
2. As you exhale, tilt (twist the body). The movement is carried out by contracting the abdominal muscles. The head drops to the floor.
3. While inhaling, the athlete slowly and concentratedly returns to the starting position, leaving the muscles tense.
4. Brushes can be held at the forehead or behind the head, whichever is more convenient. By the way, your hands should remain motionless while performing the movement. Otherwise, if your arms help, there is a chance that the biceps and latissimus dorsi muscles will be involved.

• For greater comfort and relief of discomfort, you can place a mat or towel under your knees.
• When performing the prayer exercise, the athlete should concentrate exclusively on the abdominal muscles. During movement, you need to twist your body and round your back, and not just lower your body down.

The best exercises on block machines

Performing exercises on a block machine allows you to diversify your training program and improve progress in building muscle volume. The peculiarity of such classes is that they are radically different from training with free weights.

The blocks in the simulator can be pulled back and forth, to the sides, down and up. Free weights do not provide such flexibility, and muscles do not receive such comprehensive development. The muscles are worked out completely differently when the athlete trains on a block machine.

Lifting the barbell for biceps and performing crossover curls while standing have some differences in the technique of movement, and, consequently, in the impact on the muscles. This also applies to bent over arms, which are done in the simulator, which differs from the usual exercise with dumbbells, since the upper pectoral muscles work somewhat differently.

The variability of positions that block exercise machines provide is the main and main advantage of this sports equipment. Block exercises allow you to stimulate muscle growth. Athletes who previously worked only with free weights achieve especially high results.

Technique for performing the standing prayer exercise

Technically, this option is not much different from the previous one. So the twisting process is identical, however, this exercise is performed while standing.

1. Keep your legs slightly bent and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Twisting is performed approximately horizontally.
3. When returned, the body does not fully straighten. The abdominal muscles are held in tension.
4. During the downward movement, exhale while exerting effort, and inhale when returning.

Final points

As you saw from the article, well-developed abdominal muscles give you confidence and a beautiful appearance. Of course, exercise alone will not be enough to achieve the coveted six-pack. You will have to fight excess fat, switch to a more proper and balanced diet, and put in a lot of effort. But all this will definitely pay off and your time will not be wasted. If you are not ready to go to the end, then it is better not to start. This way, at least you won’t be disappointed in the results and won’t tell everyone that certain exercises don’t work.

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Implementation recommendations

Since the prayer exercise emphasizes the load on the upper abdominals, it is worth including at least one more exercise for the lower abdominals in the training process, for example, leg raises while lying on your back, on an incline bench, on a stability ball, or while hanging.

• To increase muscle volume, you should choose the following training scheme: 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
• To reduce weight, the number of repetitions can be increased to 25. This option is suitable for women's training.

You shouldn’t start right away with the working weight. Never ignore a warm-up hike with minimal weights.

Exercises for the upper abs: maximum results in a short time.

Many people want to pump up their abs, but don’t know how. Therefore, exercises for the upper press come to our aid. For many, this part of the body is the most difficult and for good reason. Our body uses the abdominal area as a warehouse for fat reserves. It would seem that he should be thanked for this. After all, fat is additional energy and if there is a deficiency of nutrients, we can live for some time using it. But for you and me, people who want to achieve ideal body proportions, we need to do something with this fat. Many people mistakenly believe that it’s enough just to lose weight and you’ll already have abs. To some extent, this is true, but it will look underdeveloped in relation to the rest of the muscles. Therefore, his training is as important as proper nutrition.

Exercises for the upper abs

How to replace the exercise

You can replace the exercise with crunches on a fitball, straight crunches on the floor, or crunches on an incline bench.

There is also another good option for crunches that can replace this exercise in the gym: crunches with an upper block using an incline bench . When performing this exercise, the athlete takes a place on a bench, sitting with his back to the machine. Technically, everything is simple - the movements are identical to any twisting with weights behind the back.

Ten best exercises on blocks

They represent a selection of the most effective exercises, which, for one reason or another, disclosed in the presented description of each, should be included in the main training program for increasing muscle mass.

No. 1 Pulley block to the belt from a sitting position

It is a multi-joint exercise that is aimed at training the back using several muscle groups, allowing you to use fairly heavy weights. It, unlike a single-joint one, stimulates the production of much more testosterone and growth hormone in the body of athletes. This has a positive effect on muscle growth. You can work with both the lower and upper grip, as well as with a narrow and wide grip.

It is best to perform this exercise at the end of a workout to develop your back muscles. First you need to work with heavy weights, performing deadlifts, bent-over rows with a barbell, supplementing, if possible, with T-bar rows. Expanding the range of motion is achieved by performing the exercise with one hand.

No. 2 Pulldown of the lower block to the chin

Aimed at working out the shoulder girdle. It is one of the best ways to engage and train the middle fascicle of the deltoid muscle group. Gives the greatest effect with a wide grip. Maximum isolation is achieved by occupying one of three positions - standing with cables (two), on the floor, sitting. Performing with a bar that has rotating handles allows you to relieve the stress on your wrists.

How to perform abdominal crunches with body rotations?

Crunches with body rotations are an excellent exercise for working the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. In bodybuilding, there are a large number of options for performing this exercise, but the most common of them are crunches while lying on the floor or a Roman bench.

Technique for performing crunches with body rotations

Main muscles worked: rectus abdominis and obliques.

Technique:

• Take a lying position on the floor or a Roman bench: in the first case, bend your knees and place them completely on your feet, and in the second, fix your legs under the support bolsters;
• Place your hands on the back of your head and lower yourself to the bottom of the exercise (if you are performing this exercise on the floor, then lower yourself to the floor; if you are using a Roman bench, then position your body parallel to the floor or slightly lower);
• Begin to twist, rising upward due to the isolated effort of the abdominal muscles, while turning the body first to the left, then to the right, placing your left hand behind your right leg, and your right hand behind your left leg;
• Maintain a low pace of the exercise, take a short pause at the top point of the amplitude;
• Perform 3 sets of 15 reps each.

Practical recommendations

• Do not use the force of inertia, but try to perform the exercise using isolated abdominal pressure;
• Do not bend your neck too much, a slight rotation of the body will be enough;
• Do not help yourself with your hands and do not try to touch your elbows to your legs;
• When performing the exercise on a Roman bench, use a short range of motion - do not lie completely on the bench, but keep your body parallel to the floor;
• When doing Roman crunches, keep your back rounded throughout the entire set.

Nutrition

Even with the correct implementation of the complexes under consideration, achieving the desired result is quite difficult.
This is due to the fact that even with careful muscle training, they can be hidden under subcutaneous fat. Therefore, we note the following nuances of the training:

• Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. It should be low-calorie and fat-free. When creating a diet, remember to burn fat to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat.
• In addition to the complexes themselves, you should do cardio training, which will burn subcutaneous fat. It is recommended to do running and other workouts immediately before the complexes themselves.

If you don’t pay attention to burning fat, then all the work on working out your abs will not bring the desired result.

How quickly can you pump up your six-pack?

The desired result is cubes. It may take several months to receive them. It all depends on how much subcutaneous fat is present and what kind of training is still being performed. The result in a week or month is obtaining muscle outlines. However, if you do not pay attention to subcutaneous fat, then all actions may be in vain.