Reverse crunches: rules of execution and 5 effective variations of the exercise while lying on the floor and bench

What you need

Ab roller
Horizontal bar
Pancakes from the barbell

Abdominal training is an integral part of any sports discipline. It is difficult to imagine an experienced athlete who would not pay attention to this muscle group. To get ripped abs, you don’t have to exhaust yourself with intense daily workouts in the gym. It’s quite possible to create beautiful abs on your stomach at home. To do this, all you need is your desire and minimal equipment such as a horizontal bar and dumbbells. Plus a competent abdominal training program at home.

But remember that pumping up your abdominal muscles is only half the battle. To give your abs definition, you need a low-calorie diet to get rid of excess subcutaneous fat. If you have excess fat on your stomach and waist, you won't get any six-pack, even if you train your abs five times a day. Visually, the abdominal muscles become prominent when the percentage of body fat drops below 10-12%. If there is more fat in the body, the abdominal muscles will become stronger, but you will not be able to achieve a visually athletic and aesthetic torso.

In this article we will tell you how to train the abs for men and women at home and what exercises are best for this.

Reverse crunches: what's the point?

Straight crunches mean that you lift your body off the floor while performing the exercise. In reverse crunches you will lift your pelvis and legs off the floor. When we pump our abs, we use the rectus abdominis muscle. “One of the functions of the rectus abdominis muscle is to pull the ribs towards the pubic bone or vice versa,” says Valentin Zinin , instructor of SuperPopa group programs at Kometa.fit clubs .
— In order to activate the rectus abdominis muscle, we can do classic crunches or reverse crunches. There is no significant difference in the results of these types of exercises.” Some experts say that reverse crunches help to better work the lower segment of the rectus muscle (those “lower abs”), but there is no direct evidence of this. If you eat right, exercise regularly and do abdominal exercises (even straight crunches), then most likely your “lower abs” will be clearly visible.

Nutrition after 40

Nutrition secrets for girls after 45 years

What should you pay more attention to when planning your diet after forty-five years? An important factor is proper and balanced nutrition, which presupposes the absence of fatty and fried foods, flour products, and the presence of an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

Over the years, it is quite difficult to control your weight, which is associated with a decrease in the production of estrogens (youth hormones). But this absolutely does not mean that you need to exhaust your body with “starvation” and strict diets. A feature of women aged 40-45 is their acute perception of what is happening around them, which often leads to stress. Violation of mental and emotional balance, even with good results during the diet, can lead to the acquisition of even more kilograms. A healthy diet recommended by nutritionists for women over forty-five years old includes healthy and enjoyable food, low-calorie foods and proper cooking technology. An approximate daily menu for a woman, which is not harmful to young girls, includes:

Breakfast. It is important to start it not only from healthy, but also from tasty products. These can be high-calorie fruits (banana), as well as oatmeal with nuts. These products can not only saturate the body, but also lift the mood, as they saturate the body with the hormone serotonin.
It is important to choose lunch from foods containing large quantities of antioxidants and vitamins. These are usually: greens, fruits, vegetables, legumes, avocado, broccoli and so on.
Dinner. Over the years, the human digestive system slows down its activity in the evening. Therefore, meals at this time of day include light fish dishes, boiled meat and vegetables. Fermented milk products with a slice of low-calorie bread and hard cheese are a good option for a simple dinner for a woman over 40 years old. And, of course, a varied assortment of fruits is important here.
Of particular importance during this period will be fasting days, which help improve metabolism and involve split meals in small portions. The diet the next day after unloading should start with vegetable soups and milk porridges. With the right diet, you will definitely feel pleasant lightness. And even if the weight loss will not be enormous, it is a useful necessity that improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract at any age. There are modern functional nutrition Energy Diet, which helps to lose weight and bring the figure to the desired parameters.

Benefits of Reverse Crunches

It’s worth including them in your workout if only to diversify your classes. “When we perform the same exercises, this reduces the effectiveness of training,” says Valentin Zinin. “Therefore, it is recommended to diversify your activities and force your muscles to work a little differently.”

Reverse crunches are also safer for the cervical spine. “In classic crunches, we often slouch and squeeze our neck, but when performing reverse crunches, this does not happen, since the body remains on the floor,” adds Valentin Zinin.

In some variations, reverse crunches help target additional muscle groups. “When doing back crunches, if you place your arms along the floor, you can also work your triceps-back.

Features of the health of an adult woman

If you have been involved in sports for several years, then, despite your age, over the years you will feel only a good mood, have good health and a slim figure, the result of your persistent training. For those who did not give preference to classes and for some reason are now in thought, I would like to say that it is never too late to start, but you need to enter the training mode smoothly. Difficulties that arise during the adaptation period can be solved if you begin classes according to an individual program developed by the instructor. This does not apply to young girls who are in excellent physical shape.

How to do reverse crunches

There are several options for performing the exercise: on the floor, on a bench and hanging (on parallel bars or a horizontal bar). In any of these options, it is important to monitor the position of the lower back: do not overload it, work more actively with your abdominal muscles.

“When performing hanging crunches, for example, try to tense your abs as much as possible, not your leg muscles ,” adds Valentin Zinin.

Also, you should not work due to inertia . “In the exercise with lifting the pelvis and straight legs, do not use inertia, do not “throw” your feet back. Try to activate the abdominal muscles,” says Valentin Zinin.

Breathe correctly: make the main effort while exhaling and do not hold. “This increases intracranial and intra-abdominal pressure,” notes Valentin Zinin.

Exercise fold benefits

The benefits of activity are significant, and they are not limited to just strong muscles and beautiful abs. The main useful aspects are listed below:

activity works as a prevention of hernias (umbilical and inguinal);
the entire muscle mass works at the same time, and not just the abdominal muscles;
the respiratory system is trained;
Flexibility and stretching of the spine develops, which prevents spinal hernias;
the work of internal organs is activated and their prolapse does not occur;
the layer of fat is minimized, i.e. rivet on the floor helps you lose weight;
the exercise is a lead-in to performing rivets on the horizontal bar;
the waist becomes thinner.

An important advantage of this type of twisting is its accessibility. No special conditions are required. It is enough to have a flat floor, a rug, comfortable clothes and the desire to improve and work on yourself. This is all! And I am sure, dear friends, that you already have all this!

Moreover, the rivet on the floor is a kind of pump that makes the blood flow more actively throughout the body, preventing it from stagnating in the peripheral areas. And as you know, stagnation of blood in any part of the body necessarily leads to a painful condition in this area.

Friends, use this powerful pump and pump yourself up, literally and figuratively, for your health.

This activity also has nuances, but there are only two of them. The first is moderate difficulty of implementation. Sports “dummies” will have to sweat a little before they can do it well. And the second is the need to strictly follow the technique. After all, without it there will be no talk about efficiency.

It is important that the fold also has contraindications. These include: prolapse of the pelvic organs, various hernias (inguinal, white line of the abdomen, umbilical, etc.), as well as serious problems with the back and lower back.

Please note that the exercise on the floor is an excellent prevention of these ailments. However, we can push ourselves so hard and pass the point of no return that many exercises will become dangerous for us. Therefore, dear friends, take your chance and study while it is still possible.

How to do reverse crunches (video)

We asked Valentin Zinin to show us 6 options for performing reverse crunches. How to use the complex? Choose 2-3 variations from it that you like and include them in your regular abdominal workout. It is not recommended to perform all the exercises in a row; the load will be excessive.

Classic reverse abdominal crunch

Lie on your back, stretch your arms behind your head. Bend your knees, pull them towards your stomach. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your pelvis off the floor. Try to pull your pubic bone towards your hips. Don't strain your neck, shoulders or lower back. Then smoothly return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Do 8-12 of these.

Reverse crunches with pelvic rotation

Lie on your back, arms along your body. Bend your knees, pull your hips towards your stomach. Relax your neck and shoulders. Working with your abdominal muscles, lift your pelvis off the floor and move it slightly to the left. Then lower it to the floor and return to the starting position. Raise it above the floor and move your pelvis slightly to the right. Try to twist: point the pubic bone towards the ribs. Do not work by inertia, try to tense your muscles as much as possible. Make the main effort while exhaling. This is one repetition. Do 8-12 of these.

Straight Leg Raise

Lie on your back, arms along your body. Lift your legs up, pointing the toes of your feet toward the ceiling. Working your abdominal muscles, lift your pelvis and legs above the floor. Point your feet back (behind your head) and up. Do not use the force of inertia, work only with your muscles. Then return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Do 8-12 of these.

Static reverse crunches with body lift

Lie on your back, arms along your body. Raise your legs up, pointing your toes towards the ceiling. At the same time, twist your body forward and upward, reaching your hands towards your feet. Actively work your abdominal muscles. Don't slouch or strain your neck. Hold this position for 30-40 seconds, then lower to the floor. This is one repetition, do 3-4 of these.

Hanging Leg Raise

Take your starting position on the uneven bars, resting your hands on the bars and pressing your back against the back of the machine. Bend your knees to a right angle and lift your legs up, actively working your abdominal muscles. Do not strain your lower back, neck and shoulders, work only with your lower body. Then slowly lower your legs down. This is one repetition, do 3-4 of these.

Homeschool program for girls

In pursuit of a flat stomach, girls often exhaust themselves with constant abdominal training, not realizing that this muscle needs time to recover, and fat burning does not depend on exercise at all.

Below is a weekly abdominal training program for girls, which is suitable for all ladies who are actively involved in sports:

Workout #1
Ab crunches lying on the floor	4x15
Leg raises lying on the floor	4x15
Rolling out on a roller for the press	3x10	© splitov27 — stock.adobe.com
Elbow plank	30-60 seconds	© Makatserchyk — stock.adobe.com
Workout #2
Sitap	4x15
Running while lying down	30-45 seconds	© logo3in1 — stock.adobe.com
Side plank	30-60 seconds for each side	© ikostudio — stock.adobe.com
Vacuum	10 to maximum