Crossover Crunch

Sit ups and crunches are often included in a good stomach fat workout, although sit ups are often considered to be passé these days because crunches can be more back and neck friendly, while still being able to target the core. Many people, once they’ve mastered the basics of doing crunches, opt to move on to other variations to target different sections of the core. One of the biggest problem areas tends to be the oblique muscles.

Even if you think you don’t know where they are, you most likely do. The oblique muscles, when left un worked, combined with stomach fat cause love handles. This is where the Crossover Crunch comes into the picture. It works both the external and internal oblique muscles, while also working the rectus abdominis, which runs along the center of the core.

Like most crunches, the Crossover Crunch is done on the floor. Using a mat can make you just a bit more comfortable if you have one handy. Once you’re ready to get started, lie down on the floor on your back, bending your knees, and keeping your feet on the floor. As you may have guessed, there is some leg crossing in this exercise: you cross your right leg over your left leg, with your right ankle perched on your left knee. Your hands are placed along side your head, with your fingertips just barely touching your head so that there is no jerking of the head and neck up as you roll into your crunch.

Once in the proper position, begin contracting the core muscles, just like you would if you were doing a basic crunch, this is why it’s helpful to have mastered the basics before moving on to the Crossover Crunch. As you contract the core muscles, exhale and begin to gradually twist the core and your torso so that the left elbow reaches for the right knee and hopefully touches it. But don’t strain your body if it doesn’t, it will eventually. Hold it for a second, inhale and then gradually roll back down into your starting position. How many reps and sets should you do? That’s really up to you and your fitness level, although some experts suggest doing one to three sets that include ten to fifteen reps each.

The Crossover Crunch is often done with other core training exercises, including the floor based Dragon and Bicycle Crunches, as well as using cable machines to do the cable crunch and the Captain’s Chair to do hanging leg raises, to achieve even greater results.