Supine Reverse Crunches

By this point most readers probably know that there are many different kinds of crunches they can choose from when designing a core training and stomach fat workout. Supine Reverse Crunches are one of the more talked about crunches, although when you see them being performed, more than likely you will not think they’re a crunch at all, which is why they’re called a Reverse Crunch.

That said, the Supine Reverse Crunches were designed to work the rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus, but as a side benefit is that they also work the oblique muscles, so users get lots of ab toning and stomach fat reducing bang for their workout buck with this exercise. While some crunches and standing exercises require some equipment to complete, to do Supine Reverse Crunches all you need is some wiliness and a mat, but you can actually do without the mat if you wish.

First things first, you will need to get into the proper starting position, which means lying on your back, knees bent, and your arms, with palms facing down, spread out at your sides. You should also make sure that your feet are flat on the floor. Once your in the starting position, you exhale ever so gently, and begin contracting your core muscles, which has a stiffening affect on the torso, all of which braces you to begin smoothly and gradually lifting your legs up off the ground, feet first, until your knees are positioned right over your hips forming a 90 degree angle. Make sure to keep breathing normally. Your arms are positioned at your sides, so you can use them to keep yourself balanced.

Your not done yet, next is the upward portion of this workout, in which you exhale and begin contracting your core and hip flexor muscles, so your hips begin to move upward off of the floor, while also curling or rolling your spine up. You may want to visualize trying to bring your knees toward your head in this move, even if you actually can’t dot it, because you want your pelvis and hips to be moving toward your ribcage. You keep rolling until you can’t roll up your spine any more. It’s important that while rolling up you refrain from making any changes in the angle of your knees. Balance may well be an issue at this point, so it’s important to use your arms and hands to keep yourself in alignment and balanced.

Trainers suggest briefly holding this position, and then inhaling in a gentle fashion, while you begin lowering your spine down toward the mat, once again making sure to use a controlled movement. You upper thighs should be positioned over your hips, on the way down, and you’ll want to keep gently rolling back down until your spine and pelvis are on the mat and your knees are once again in a 90 degree angle.

When doing Supine Reverse Crunches, proper alignment and form are super important to make sure there isn’t too much stress being placed on the lower back and to prevent injuries. This is why most trainers suggest moving in a controlled fashion when going into the exercise and when coming out.