Tag Archives: abdominals

Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors

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I have a core exercise for you for the Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors and if you’re familiar with Pilates then you’ll notice a similarity with this one.

Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors will work your lower abdominals as well as your hip flexors and for an added bonus the crunch and hold will isometrically work your upper abdominals.  So you know what that means….muscle burn time!

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors properly.

  • lay face up on your mat and raise your legs to a 45 degree angle keeping them as straight as possible.
  • reach towards your toes with your hands by crunching up until your shoulders are off the floor.  Avoid going too high as this can strain your back and avoid tucking your chin in to your chest.
  • while holding the crunch, lower one leg until it is about an inch or two off the floor then return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
  • ensure that you are pulling your belly button in towards your spine to achieve optimal ab contraction and to avoid straining your lower back.
  • if you find that your back is arching or hurting while doing this exercise then don’t lower your legs as far down.  You can also just do a crunch while holding your legs up and not doing the scissor movement.

So there you have Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors.  Get those abs burning by adding a couple sets of 20 to 30 repetitions to your ab routine or add it in to a superset to get an even bigger metabolic boost!

 

Forward Bicycle

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If you have been following my posts and looking forward to new exercise ideas, you will have noticed that there was no Home Exercise of the Week last week.  I apologize but I have been quite busy helping people get in shape by working them hard and implementing these exercises whenever possible!

One of the exercises I have been showing my wonderful clients is the Forward Bicycle.  This is a great core exercise that will strengthen your abs, lower back, and hip flexors.  It will also improve your coordination.

So what do you need to know to do the Forward Bicycle properly?  Let’s take a look.

  • sit on the floor and lean back to a 45 degree angle keeping your back straight and head in line with your spine
  • place your hands palm down on the floor beside and slightly behind you
  • raise your feet off the floor and push one foot forward in a circular motion followed by the other foot (that’s one repetition)
  • make sure you are pushing your foot forward until your leg is almost straight
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine throughout the movement to keep your abdominals flexed

So there you have the Forward Bicycle!  Do a couple of sets of 20 to 30 repetitions in your ab routine or add it in to a superset.  If that isn’t challenging enough for you then try raising your arms up in the air throughout the exercise.  This will work your abs even more and will also help improve your balance!

Now go and get on that abdominal bike and start cycling!

Side to Side Leg Raises

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I have another abdominal exercise for you for the Home Exercise of the Week!  Your core muscles are very important for maintaining a healthy posture and back health as well as providing stability and strength to all other exercises and every day activities.  So please make sure you are not neglecting your core and to help you with that I would like to show you the Side to Side Leg Raise.

Side to Side Leg Raises target your lower abdominals and your obliques.  Proper form is key as with any exercise but with this one especially since improper form could lead to strain on your lower back.

Let’s take a look at the key points for proper Side to Side Leg Raise execution:

  • lay flat on the floor with your arms extended out to your sides (this will stabilize you and keep you from rolling over) and legs together straight up in the air
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine which will activate your abdominals and allow them to do more of the work instead of your back
  • with legs together, lower them to the side until they are almost touching the floor
  • keeping your abs contracted, raise back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side
  • keep your head down as much as you can throughout the movement

Add the Side to Side Leg Raise to a superset or to your ab routine with a rep range of 12 to 20 reps to start.  If you find keeping your legs straight to be extremely challenging then you can bend your legs at the knees giving you a shorter lever which in turn will make the exercise easier.  On the flip side, if you find this not challenging enough then try holding a dumbbell between your feet!

Now go and get your abs burning!

Reverse Crunch

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It’s ab burning time for this weeks Home Exercise of the Week!  The Reverse Crunch is a great exercise to add in to your ab routine and it’s not a complicated move so it’s easier to get the hang of.  Now just because it’s an easier move doesn’t mean that it will be easier on your abs.  You will feel this one!

The Reverse Crunch focuses on your rectus abdominus and you will feel this in your lower abdominals.  The move is subtle but very effective.

Let’s look at the key points to doing the Reverse Crunch properly.

  • lay face up on a mat keeping your head down and arms resting at your sides throughout the crunch
  • raise your feet up and bend your knees to a 90 degree angle – this is the starting position
  • contract your abs to slowly bring your knees towards your chest and raise your hips off the floor
  • hold the contraction for a second or two then lower your hips to the starting postition
  • keep a slow pace and use your abs to lift your hips instead of swinging your legs and causing momentum which will take the focus away from the abs you are trying to work

So there you have the Reverse Crunch.  Perform 1 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions in your ab routine or add a set of 15 to 20 repetitions to a superset of compound exercises to save time!

Jackknife

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I have another core exercise for you for this weeks Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called a Jackknife and it’s one of the more challenging ab exercises but once you get the hang of it you will feel how effective it is!

The Jackknife works all areas of your core as well as your hip flexors and at the same time it isometrically works your upper body muscles.  This exercise can put a lot of strain on your lower back if not done correctly so let’s take a look at the key points to doing it properly.

  • getting on the stability ball can be challenging so the best way is to put your hands on the floor and one leg up on the ball first then put your other leg up.  Your shins should be resting on the ball.
  • it is very important to keep your abs contracted by pulling your belly button in towards your spine.  This will help keep your hips from sagging down which will put a lot of pressure on your lower back.
  • once you have stabilized yourself, pull your knees slowly in towards your chest squeezing the abs and then return slowly to the starting position
  • if you find it hard to do this exercise with your hands on the floor, try using a bench to rest your arms on.  This raises you up a bit and can take some of the pressure off your upper body

So there you have the key points to doing the Jackknife effectively.  Add this to your routine and you will be well on your way to a strong and toned core!  If you want an extra challenge and some extra upper body work, try adding a pushup in between each roll in.  You can also do a side roll to target your obliques more but that is a video for another day! 🙂