And this development is enough to motivate you to continue forever. Eventually, you are going to sprain your neck immediately or going to develop bigger neck trouble in the longer term. Hold on to the back of your thighs and lie flat on the floor. From the starting position, exhale and contract your abdominals and bring your upper spine up off the ground.

Then, the reverse crunch is the best option. Crunches alone can never give you six-pack abs. This post contains Affiliate Links and LiveOsumly earns a commission through the independently chosen links at NO additional costs to you. Keep your feet flat on the ground and knee bent to balance the position. Everything you need to know to get started with this high-fat, low-carb diet. Breathe in and as you exhale, curl your upper body off the floor slowly and lift your arms simultaneously. Ultimately, it is going to do a good job in strengthening and toning your abs. As you practice, keep your rep counts to the possibility of 15 for each set. Easy thing is to keep your chin up without tucking it in your chest. Lift your leg only as much as possible so that your spine is always straight throughout the workout. Twenty months and 17 pounds later, I came away with 10 big lessons.

The Bird Dog Crunch is another crunch variation that combines the aesthetic plank exercise and powerful crunch exercise.

Create your best upper-body workout yet by incorporating these nine upper body dumbbell exercises into your... Ready to get in your best lower body workout ever? Keep your chest open and pull your belly button inwards. Don’t start with the exercise, unless you feel that you are perfectly balanced on your sides. (ACE) also confirms the same. This completes one rep of the Swiss Ball Crunch.

Now, engage your core and lift your upper torso to almost the sitting position. This helps you retain a perfect body posture which in turn helps you in lifting heavy objects and twist your body easily. Lie on your back flat on your exercise mat. This will be your starting position. As a beginner perform 8-12 reps for 3 sets. Once done with the 3 sets, change the sides over and perform 3 sets on the other side as well.

Repeat. Begin the motion by lifting your shoulder blades off the floor and reach your right hand towards the outside of  your left ankle. So, you can say that the vertical leg crunch builds your complete core muscles. Arching or curving your back literally translates to a weak core. Lie flat on your back on the exercise mat. That completes your first rep. Repeat. This completes one perfect repetition of the double crunch. Place your hands in front of you at shoulder-width apart. If yes, then it must be the Vertical Leg Crunches. The American Council of Exercise Make sure that both the legs are above your hip level. Crunches help you by strengthening your abdominal muscles but has nothing to do with reducing your body fat. The reason put forth was that the bicycle crunches hit the lower and upper abs and obliques like no other ab workouts. Try to practice 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each set.

Although crunches aren't a new exercise, most people don't know exactly what this movement does, what it is lacking and how truly versatile it is. Lie flat on your back on the floor on your exercise mat. We ♥ being transparent! Hold on to this position for the count of one or two. Perform 3 sets of Twist Crunches till fatigue in every set. Repeat. Sit-ups have given way to the abdominal crunch when it comes to toning the midsection. Well, crunches do work. This is applicable only to the exercises that involve lower body movement like in some of the variations. However, it also engages your obliques, inner thigh muscles, hip flexors and glutes. The lower back is completely in contact with the ball and the hips are perfectly stationary. Repeat. Bend your knees with your feet still flat on the ground. Walking has a lot of health benefits, but how many steps a day should you take?