Roll down negative curl

The roll down negative curl focuses on the hardest part of the crunch — the lowering phase.
Pay special attention to your form if you have lower back or neck problems.

Getting set
Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Reach forward and place your hands on the outside of your thighs. Slide your shoulders down and tilt your chin slightly so there’s a few inches of space between your chin and your chest. Gently pull your abdominals inward. See photo A.

The exercise
Tuck your pelvis and slowly lower back as far as you can go and keep your feet on the ground. Hold for a moment and then curl slowly back up. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your abdominals pulled in so that you feel more tension in your abs.
• DO curl as well as lift. For an explanation of curling., in which you find out common crunch mistakes.
• DON’T hunch or collapse your shoulders.

Other options
Hands on chest negative curl (harder): Fold your arms across your chest,
palms down and tuck your chin in slightly. This position increases the weight of your upper body.
Hands behind head negative curl (harder): Place your hands behind your
head without lacing your fingers. This version further increases the weight of your upper body.

Bent knee side crunch

The bent knee side crunch challenges your obliques to work together with all of your abdominal muscles.

Getting set
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor. Drop both of your knees to one side and keep your legs stacked together. Place both hands behind your head without lacing your fingers. Place thumbs at base of skull. See photo A.

The exercise
Curl straight upward keeping your legs together and drawing your ribs toward your hips. Lower back down. Do all the repetitions on one side and then switch to the other side. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep torso rotated at the waist and legs together.
• DO keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed.
• DO move slowly and take the time to feel your abs working.
• DON’T pull on your neck or touch your elbow to your knee.

Other options
Weighted bent knee side crunch (harder): Hold a lightweight plate or dumbbell
on your chest, or for an even greater challenge, hold a weight on top of or behind your head. Just don’t press the plate down too hard.

Oblique abdominal crunch

The oblique crunch works all your abdominal muscles with an emphasis on your obliques.
Pay special attention to form if you have a history of lower back or neck discomfort.

Getting set
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart and flat
on the floor. Place your left hand behind your head so your thumb is behind
your left ear. Place your right arm along the floor beside you. Bring your
elbow out to the side and round it slightly inward. Tilt your chin so your chin
and your chest are a few inches apart. Pull your abdominals in. See photo A
.

The exercise
As you curl your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left shoulder toward your right knee. (Your elbow won’t actually touch your knee.) Lower back down. Do all the repetitions on one side and then switch to the other side. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO concentrate on rotating from your middle instead of simply moving your elbows toward your knees.
• DO keep both hips squarely on the ground as you twist to protect your lower back.

Other options

• Legs-up crunch with a twist (harder): Lift your bent knees off the floor and cross one ankle over the other.
• Straight-arm crunch with a twist (harder): Reach for your opposite knee with your arm straight rather than your elbow bent. Reach past the outside edge of your knee.

Reverse abdominal crunch

The reverse crunch emphasizes the lower portion of your main abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominis). Use caution if you’re prone to lower back discomfort.

Getting set
Lie on your back with your legs up, knees slightly bent, and feet in air. Rest your arms on the floor and place your fingertips behind your head. Rest your head on your hands, relax your shoulders, and pull in your abdominals.

The exercise
Lift your butt one or two inches off the floor so your legs lift up and a few inches backward. Hold the position for a moment, and then lower slowly. See photo A.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your shoulders relaxed and down.
• DO keep the crunch movement small and precise; you don’t have to lift very high to feel this exercise working.
• DO use a minimum of leg movement.
• DON’T thrust or jerk your hips.
• DON’T involve your upper body at all.
• DON’T cross your feet at the ankles (see photo B).
• DON’T roll your hips so your buttocks and back come way off the floor. This type of movement involves your front hip muscles more than your abdominals.

Other options
Modified reverse crunch (easier): Hold onto the back edges of an exercise mat or stable object such as the underside of a couch or stuffed chair to help stabilize your upper body. Perform the reverse crunch.
One-leg reverse crunch (easier): Lift one leg at a time. Bend your other knee so your foot is flat on the floor. Avoid pushing on your foot. Use your abs to lift your hips.
Incline reverse crunch (harder): Place three risers underneath one end of a step bench and one riser underneath the other end. Lie on the step with your head at the higher end of it. Stretch your arms out behind you and hold on to the undercling of the step directly behind your head. Perform a reverse crunch by lifting your hips up. This version of the reverse crunch is more difficult because you’re working against gravity.

Basic abdominal crunch

The basic abdominal crunch is the fundamental abdominal exercise that works all of your abdominal muscles.
Pay special attention to your form if you have lower back or neck problems.

Getting set
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Place your hands at your sides. Keep your head upright and don’t press it into your chest. Gently pull your abdominals inward. See photo A.

The exercise
Curl up and forward so your head, neck, and shoulder blades lift off the floor. Hold for a moment at the top of the movement and then lower slowly back down.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your abdominals pulled in so you feel more tension in your abs and so you don’t overarch your lower back.
• DO curl as well as lift. For an explanation of curling, in which you ascertain common crunch mistakes.
• DON’T pull on your legs with your hands.

Other options
Cross-arm crunch (easier): Fold your arms across your chest, palms down, and tuck your chin so it rests on your hands. This position saves you the effort of having to lift the weight of your arms. Legs-up crunch: Keeping your knees bent, pick your legs off the floor, and cross your ankles.
Weighted crunch (harder): Hold a lightweight plate on your chest, or for an even greater challenge, hold a weight on top of or behind your head. Just don’t press the plate down too hard.

Avoiding Mistakes When Training Your Abdominals

Mistakes are so common with abdominal exercises that the crunch has the dubious honor of qualifying for a spot in as one of the exercises most often performed incorrectly.
Here’s a close look at abdominal training no-nos:

• Avoid doing neck-ups. In other words, lift from your abs, not your neck; otherwise, you’re asking for neck pain. Your head and neck shouldn’t be involved in abdominal exercises at all — they’re just along for the ride. Place your hands behind your head without lacing your fingers together, slide your shoulders down, and tilt your chin slightly so there’s about a fist’s worth of space between your chin and your chest. Your head and neck need to stay in this position throughout the exercise.
  
• Don’t move your elbows. Your elbows have nothing to do with abdominal exercises. After you position your elbows out and slightly rounded inward, leave them there. If you pull your elbows up and in, you’ll end up pulling on your neck.
• Don’t arch or flatten your back. We frequently remind you to pull your abs in, but always keep a slight gap, the width of a finger or two, between the small of your back and the floor. Avoid squeezing your buttocks and jamming your lower back into the floor.
• After the lift, don’t forget the curl. The crunch involves more than simply lifting your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor; you also need to curl forward, as if you’re doubling over. Imagine how you’d move if you were lying on the floor and someone dropped a weight on your stomach. That’s the movement you’re aiming for here.

Avoiding Mistakes When Training Your Abdominals

Mistakes are so common with abdominal exercises that the crunch has the dubious honor of qualifying for a spot in as one of the exercises most often performed incorrectly.
Here’s a close look at abdominal training no-nos:

• Avoid doing neck-ups. In other words, lift from your abs, not your neck; otherwise, you’re asking for neck pain. Your head and neck shouldn’t be involved in abdominal exercises at all — they’re just along for the ride. Place your hands behind your head without lacing your fingers together, slide your shoulders down, and tilt your chin slightly so there’s about a fist’s worth of space between your chin and your chest. Your head and neck need to stay in this position throughout the exercise.
  
• Don’t move your elbows. Your elbows have nothing to do with abdominal exercises. After you position your elbows out and slightly rounded inward, leave them there. If you pull your elbows up and in, you’ll end up pulling on your neck.
• Don’t arch or flatten your back. We frequently remind you to pull your abs in, but always keep a slight gap, the width of a finger or two, between the small of your back and the floor. Avoid squeezing your buttocks and jamming your lower back into the floor.
• After the lift, don’t forget the curl. The crunch involves more than simply lifting your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor; you also need to curl forward, as if you’re doubling over. Imagine how you’d move if you were lying on the floor and someone dropped a weight on your stomach. That’s the movement you’re aiming for here.