Core Workout - Bicycle Ab Crunch with a Pause
Ab Crunch with a Pause
Ab Crunch Outline
Although I feel like there is already ton’s of information out there on different ways to work your abs. Some good, some just awful. I feel like it is my job to give you more information that may help you be successful in your training. This abdominal workout is one of my favorites and is ranked by many sites which claim bicycle twist as one of the best for core muscle activation. If you wondering what muscles constitute “Core” then you will have to do your own reading and make your own judgments. Reason is the medical community and many other professionals have not agreed on to what muscles make up the core. When I’m training my clients or giving information to the average person in public, the core is:
(1) Rectus Abdominis ( good for looks)
(2) Transverse Abdominis (deep and brings belly button to spine)
(3) Internal & External obliques (Beside your Abdomen)
(4) Erector Spinae & Multifidus (Back and Spine)
(5) Quadratus lumborum (QL)
(6) Glute Family (3 Bum Muscles)
How To Perform A Bicycle Ab Crunch
So now you have a brief outline as to what constitutes core without going all science-geek on you. There is plenty of research and in-depth article debates on core. Now to the workout steps: (video coming soon)
1) Begin lying with your back on a mat
2) Have one leg bent and one leg fully extended
3) Place hands on the side of your head and not behind. Keep elbows in.
4) With feet elevated approximately 10 inches rotate your body and touch elbow to opposite knee. (Try to get as close and tight as you can)
5) So right elbow comes up & across and touches left knee while your right leg is fully extended out.
6) Pause and hold for 2 – 5 seconds
7) While moving you right elbow back and pulling in your right leg, simultaneously move and extend your left leg out and left elbow to which is now the right leg that is bend.
8) So it is kind of a crisscross movement.
9) Be sure to always keep legs and arms elevated and move slowly from throughout the movements, and extend only as far as you comfortably can.
10) Lastly don’t pull on your head
This is great exercise for your core, and really targets a lot of those deep muscles. The pause at different lengths of time will also help to further increase endurance. This is all good however lets take it one step further.
Advance Bicycle Ab Crunch Workout Version
This is a more advance version of the exercise and one that I do personally. As always make sure you’re comfortable with the basic exercise before increasing.
While performing the bicycle crunch exercise above now we are going to add steps with pauses as follows:
1) Begin in start position
2) Switch to other side and hold for 2 seconds
3) Switch again and hold for 2 seconds
4) Switch again this time hold for 4 seconds
5) Back again and hold this position for 4 seconds ( Keep your arms and feet up)
6) Switch again for 6 second hold
7) Back to other side hold for 6 seconds (See a pattern?)
8) Then 8 seconds
9) Again for 8 seconds
10) Now both sides hold for 10 seconds
11) Now finish off with a 20 count. Where side to side counts as 1 rep. So left, right, 1. Left, right, 2, etc, etc, till left, right, 20.
Let me know what you think and how it went for you. Also be sure to keep an eye out for more great abdominal or core exercises in the future.
Bicycle Ab Crunch - Best video out there
Abdominal Equipment
Other Great Articles & Links
- How To Stimulate Your Workouts with Different Strength Training Methods
A overview of all of the different workouts and methods of exercising people are using. - Bicep Exercises: The 7 Best Ways to Work Them Out
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