Reverse Crunches | Illustrated Exercise Guide

Primary muscles: Abs
Secondary muscles: Abs
Equipment: No equipment
Exercise for the opposite muscles: Back extensions

REVERSE CRUNCHES INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lie on your back with your hands by your sides. Lift your knees until your thighs and calves form a 90-degree angle and your calves are parallel to the floor.
2. Lift your hips and bring your knees, as far as you can, toward the chest.
3. Hold and then slowly return to the starting position.
4. Repeat.

PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN

Keep your hands and lower back flat on the floor and do all the movements slowly and in a controlled manner, one vertebra at a time. Breathe out as you lift the hips off the mat and breathe in as you slowly return to the starting position.

EXERCISE BENEFITS

Adding reverse crunches to your workout routine helps to increase ab strength and definition, and improves core and lower back stability. This exercise engages the lower layers of your abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominis, also known as the corset muscle, giving you a flat belly and great back support.

DEMONSTRATION

SETS AND REPS

Start with 2 or 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of reverse crunches and increase the challenge by keeping your legs straight throughout the exercise.

CALORIES BURNED

To calculate the number of calories burned doing reverse crunches, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:

RELATED CORE EXERCISES

Try these other core exercises to tighten, sculpt and strengthen your abs, obliques, lats and lower back:
Back extensions
Side plank
Roll up
Windshield wipers

WORKOUT ROUTINES