How to Do Reverse Crunches

woman's abs

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Hey! Want To Be TRULY Happy? CLICK HERE

The crunch is a go to exercise for many, so knowing how to do reverse crunches properly is useful knowledge.

Many people are looking to strengthen their core and tighten their abs. Unfortunately, crunches are terrible for your neck and back, and place a lot of strain on those areas. Luckily, there is another exercise you can do that gives you all of the benefit of a crunch without the stress on your spinal column – the reverse crunch.

Form Matters

To perform a reverse crunch, simply lie down on your back while keeping your knees bent. Instead of lifting your torso off the ground, lift your feet up towards the ceiling. When you do so, ensure you curl completely through so that your hips come up off of the floor. Doing this exercise on a regular basis can give you the core-enhancing results you are looking for.

Step-by-step

Assume The Starting position

1. Lie down on your back with your legs straight. Your body should currently be in the same alignment as it would be if you were standing up straight. Stretch both arms out on either side of you so that they form a straight line. This will allow you to use your arms to stabilize and help you keep your head and shoulders firmly on the ground. However, if this is not comfortable for you then you may choose instead to lock your fingers together and put your hands behind your head.

2. Lift your feet off of the floor and bend your knees into a 90-degree angle. At this point, your legs should be in line with the floor and your knees should be pointed towards the ceiling. Be careful to keep your feet touching firmly together.

Performing A Reverse Crunch

1. Breath in, then pull your knees toward your face. You want to rock into a position where your upper legs are against your torso and your feet point towards the ceiling. To do this, lift your hips up off of the floor.

Be sure to use your core and not your legs or momentum to achieve this motion. Your abdominal muscles should be doing the lion’s share of the work.

2. Breathe out and slowly bring your hips back down to the floor and your legs back to their original position. It is important to maintain control and not let your legs or hips drop back too quickly. You should be engaging your core during the release step just as much as you did during the curl step.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 up to 20 times to complete 1 set. Rest for a moment, and then complete a total of 5 sets before moving on to another exercise.

The more often you perform this exercise, the more quickly you will see results. Try to begin by doing reverse crunches 2 or 3 days a week. If you feel comfortable with more, you can work your way up to doing your sets every day.

Go to Fit for Life Page for more Diet and Exercise info


Return to Homepage

About Cate

I am a retired RN–I enjoy blogging, designing mugs and more, and spreading a bit of positivity in the world.

View all posts by Cate →