Don’t Do Another Crunch Until You Try This 1 Move For Lean Abs
by Kathy Smith
You can stop with the crunches! I may be exaggerating – but there’s still a kernel of truth to this. Traditional crunches have their value - they’re great for helping to define the abdominal muscles, especially the rectus abdominus (the part of our abs that can form the ‘six pack’). But there are several effective exercises for strengthening the core that are completely crunch-free. Today, I’ll show you one move takes the ab-sculpting power of the reverse crunch and turns it on its side by providing an additional oblique rotational challenge….
Windshield Wipers:
How to do it:
- Start on your back, with your hands on the floor for support and legs lifted up off the floor.
- Using your core muscles to support you and protect your lower back, keep your knees over your hips as you slowly drop both knees to the right side, forming a 45-degree angle with the floor. Then, fire up your obliques as you drive your knees back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side.
Beginners:
- Start with a limited range of motion. To start out, just take your legs a few inches to one side and then use your abdominals to bring them back to center.
- If you feel any pressure on your back, bring your knees closer to your chest as you rock side to side.
Advanced:
- Add an extension: So as you rotate, extend your legs to straight. Then bend them back to a 90-degree angle as you return to the starting position.
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