Classic crunches lying on the floor and rules for their implementation

Beautiful and sculpted abs require regular exercise and effective exercises. One of the most popular abdominal exercises is floor crunches. To perform it, you do not need any specialized equipment, so it is available both in the gym and at home. This exercise comes in different variations, each of which focuses on a specific part of the abdominal muscles. The correct execution technique plays a role in its effectiveness, so you need to learn how to correctly do crunches while lying on the floor.

Features of the exercise

The press can be trained quite easily; the main thing in this matter is regularity . Lying crunches are a popular exercise that has many variations. It is recommended for absolutely everyone from beginners to professionals. This is a basic exercise that allows you to pump up your abdominal muscles, develop strength and endurance.

Although several joints are not involved in the work, all parts of the abs receive stress during crunches. In addition to direct muscle training, exercise helps maintain the health of the spine and the beauty of posture. In addition, the abdominal muscles form a strong muscular corset, which increases the endurance necessary to perform more difficult exercises - bench press, deadlift, squats. The exercise is simple and accessible, and can be performed anywhere and anytime, which is an important advantage for those who exercise at home.

Exercises for the abs and chest

Harmonic

1. Lie on your back, legs raised and forming a right angle, hands behind your head, shoulders raised.
2. Straighten your legs, tensing your abdominal muscles.
3. The neck is relaxed, we do not hold the head with our hands, we hold the upper part of the body with the press.

2 sets, 10-15 reps.

Bringing hands together

1. Lie down on a bench (fitball, chairs).
2. Take the equipment, palms facing each other.
3. Spread your arms wide, bring them together without bending your elbows.

4 sets, 12-15 reps, weight 1-3 kg (1-2 liter bottle).

At home, you can take bottles of water instead of dumbbells; if you don’t have a fitball, make chairs or take a bench.

What muscles work?

Lying crunches allow you to work the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles, the muscles of the middle and lower back, as well as partially the buttocks, inner and outer thighs.

To notice the coveted abdominal definition, you need not only to do exercises, but also to follow a diet, since if you have a layer of fat, it will still not be visible, no matter how hard you train.

Technique: classic version

First you need to learn how to perform crunches on the floor in the classic variation. First, take the starting position:

• Lie on the floor, preferably on a gymnastics mat.
• Place your hands behind your head.
• Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
• Arch your lower back, inhale and stretch your abdominal muscles.

The movement itself is performed as follows:

• Exhaling, lift your upper body towards your legs, while contracting your abdominal muscles.
• Keep your lower back motionless on the floor.
• Inhaling, lean back, stretching your abdominal muscles to the maximum. Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary, keeping your abdominal muscles tense throughout the entire approach.

While performing the exercise, try not to swing or twist your torso with a jerk. This is a gross violation of the correct technique, due to which the effectiveness of the exercise is reduced.

Twisting on an inclined surface

Women can also perform crunches on an incline bench - this will help diversify the classic workout. With this version of the abdominal swing, the thigh muscles are additionally involved in the work, helping to maintain a stable body position and balance.

Ab crunches for women on a bench

The table below shows the main types of crunches that can be performed on an incline bench and the technique for performing them.

Crunches on an incline bench are contraindicated for people with high blood and intracranial pressure, as well as for frequent migraine attacks.

Ab crunches on the floor: variations

Crunches lying on the floor, the technique of which you already know, have many variations, differing in level of difficulty. Having learned to easily perform the exercise 20 or more times, you can include more complex variations in your training. Let's look at what other types of twists exist.

By hand position:

• You can keep your hands along your body or support your buttocks with them. This option is considered very easy and is suitable for beginners, but in the future it is better to move on to more difficult options.
• Cross your arms over your chest. This will add weight to your upper body, making the exercise a little more challenging.
• You can also perform crunches lying down with weights. Its size can be selected individually, but keep in mind that it should not provoke discomfort. You can use, for example, pancakes. You can hold the pancake on your chest with your hands crosswise or hold it with your hands behind your head.

According to the position of the legs, the exercise can be as follows:

• You can place your shins on a bed, on a bench, or on a chair. In this way the counterweight of the legs is reduced.
• Legs can be raised vertically. This will ensure constant stress on the stomach.
• You can also keep your legs at an angle. This is a difficult option that puts a lot of stress on the abdominal muscles, so it requires a certain level of preparation.

You can vary these options. So, having studied them all, you can perform crunches with and without a weight plate, change the position of your arms and legs. This will help diversify your workouts and increase their effectiveness.

You can also consider the following exercise options:

• Reverse crunches on the floor . From a lying position, you need to understand that your legs are bent at the knees towards the chest, lifting the lower part of the lower back.
• Side crunches . Exercise to work the oblique abdominal muscles. You need to lie with your back on the floor, put your legs bent at the knees on your side, and place your hips at a right angle to the body. The hand that is closer to the floor will fix the legs. The other is behind the head. Such twisting must be done first on one side, and then on the other.
• Diagonal crunches, also known as "Bicycle" crunches . You need to support your upper back and legs. Hands are behind the head. Twisting is done on one side, with the elbow facing the direction of the opposite leg. This leg simultaneously bends at the knee.

The best abdominal exercises for women at home

When creating a training program, it is recommended to include only the most effective abdominal exercises for women. Their number is large enough, so there is no need to do all the movements in one workout. It is optimal to alternate the load using different exercises, techniques and styles of execution to avoid muscle adaptation.

Crunches

The most universal and very effective movement to pump up a girl’s abs at home. To perform this you need a free area of ​​the floor and a small rug (can be done without it). Works the upper part of the abs perfectly.

Technique:

1. Lie on the floor, bring your legs together and bend your knees, focusing on your feet. Place your hands behind your head or crossed over your chest.
2. Begin to lift your shoulder blades off the floor, lifting your body. Try to twist so that your head moves towards your hips.
3. Pause at the peak point (as you exhale) and slowly return to the starting position.

Key points: in order for girls to properly pump their abs with crunches, it is necessary to constantly maintain tension in the muscles.

Crunches with legs raised

To additionally activate the lower press, you need to change the starting position. Instead of resting your feet on the floor, you need to raise them (shin parallel to the floor, thigh perpendicular to the floor).

Read more about the crunch exercise →

Lying leg raise

There is not always a horizontal bar in the house to perform hanging leg raises. In this case, leg raises are the best abdominal exercise for women to work the lower part.

Technique:

1. Lie on the floor, arms along your body, palms need to rest on the floor (for additional stabilization) or hold on to any support.
2. As you exhale, begin to lift your legs together at a slow pace until they are perpendicular to the floor.
3. Take a short break and return to the starting position without lowering your feet to the floor.

Key points:

• The lower back should be pressed tightly to the floor.
• You also need to avoid jerking when lifting your legs (at the expense of your hips).

Russian twist

A very rare, but incredibly effective exercise that provides a powerful load on the abs (with a focus on the oblique abdominal muscles). Performed in any conditions, with dumbbells, kettlebells or any other weight (even with a water bottle).

Technique:

1. Sit on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Tilt the body back slightly. At the starting point, there should be a right angle between the hips and the body (a straight V).
2. Keep the weight on straight arms (slightly bent at the elbows).
3. Move your arms to the side, trying to touch the object in your hands to the floor on the right.
4. Without pausing, return your hands to the starting position and repeat the movement to the left side.
5. Continue alternating body rotations throughout the exercise.

Key points:

• When working with heavy weights, your arms should be bent at the elbows; when working with minimal weights, you can straighten them (with a slight bend in the joint).
• This is a strength exercise and does not need to be performed in multiple repetitions. It is optimal to do the Russian twist in the mode of 8-12 leads on each side.

Standing rotation with kettlebell

The most powerful movement for the abdominal muscles. Ideal for strength training at home for abs for girls. Effectively works all core muscles.

Technique:

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. Hold a kettlebell in your free hand at hip level.
2. Begin to rotate your arm, moving it clockwise behind your back.
3. Grab the handle of the kettlebell with your other hand and perform the same rotational movement, with the interception in front of you.

Although the technique is unusual, this is a fairly simple movement that requires a front and back interception. Also try to rotate the weight equally clockwise and counterclockwise. Choose the optimal weight (instead of a kettlebell, you can even use a regular bottle with water and a handle).

Contraindications and precautions

Ab crunch training on the floor can be very effective, but before you begin, it is recommended to study possible contraindications. These include herniated intervertebral discs (in certain cases), osteoporosis and late stages of osteochondrosis, pregnancy. But there are exceptions to any rule, so it makes sense to consult a specialist.

In addition, it is very important to do abdominal crunches while lying on your back, avoiding mistakes that can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise, calling into question its safety.

The most common mistake when performing the exercise, which beginners often make, is lifting the body instead of twisting. If the body seems to be hunched over during the exercise, with the body close to the groin, then when lifting, the back will remain straight and the shoulders will be directed at the knees. With this technique, everything can work, but not the press. Doing crunches in this manner, even for a long time, will not achieve results.

Also, when doing crunches, many people tend to strain their neck and press their chin to their chest. This also does not need to be done, since it is an extra load that is not recommended.

Another point is breathing . When twisting the body, you need to exhale sharply and powerfully, as this helps to ensure maximum stress on the rectus abdominis muscle. There is no need to be afraid to breathe loudly - this directly affects the effectiveness of your workouts.

We recommend that you read: body bends, how to do the exercise

Also consider the following points:

• Do not put your head on the floor or throw your shoulders there so that the load in the abdominal muscles is maintained correctly.
• Do not lift your lower back from the floor, working your torso through a large amplitude, which will ensure the work of your back muscles.
• Don't pull the back of your head with your hands. To avoid this, you can keep your hands at your temples or simply not clasp them.
• There is no need to swing, twisting your body with a jerk - this is a serious violation of technique.
• To determine if you are doing the exercise correctly, place one finger on the bottom of your chest and the other on the point below your navel. Then curl the press. If you do everything correctly, your fingers should be as close to each other as possible.
• An indicator of the quality of work is a burning sensation in the abdominal muscles.
• Having reached the top point of the exercise, take a short break - this will increase its effectiveness.

When performing crunches while lying on your abs, select the number of repetitions and level of load based on your goals. If you want to get noticeable abs on your stomach, it is recommended to do 3-4 sets of 8-15 times . Most likely you will need additional weight. A pancake is good for this, but it can also be replaced with a dumbbell. In the gym, to increase the load, you can do exercises on a special simulator. If you want to speed up the process of burning fat in the abdominal area and tighten it, do a lot of repetitions - from 25. It is also recommended to increase the number of approaches. Perform the exercise at an intense pace.

Opinions are divided on when to perform this and other abdominal exercises. Some recommend working out your abs at the beginning of a workout to speed up blood circulation and prepare the body for basic exercises. Others believe that before starting heavy basic exercises, the muscles should not be tired, so it is better to complete the workout with abs. Both of these opinions are equally true, so the abdominal muscles can be trained either separately or as part of a general workout whenever it is convenient for you.

Photos of crunches lying on the floor will help you better understand their correct technique.

Twisting while lying on the floor: useful video

Crunches are a simple exercise, but they involve many nuances, and you need to know them in order to avoid mistakes and achieve maximum efficiency. We invite you to watch a video of crunches on the floor, which will explain in detail everything important about this exercise.

In general, crunches are an effective exercise for working the abdominal muscles, which allows you to both gain relief and simply tighten this area. Don't be lazy to do it regularly, and soon you will notice the results.