Abs Workout: Upper Crunch

This move not only tones and tightens your abdominal muscles including the rectus abdominis and external oblique, but also helps work your rectus femoris (quadriceps muscle) and tensor fascia lata too.

To perform this move:

• Lie face up on the bench and interlock your feet behind the provided ankle pads.
  
• Ensure that you back is flat.
  
• Cross your arms over your chest.
  
• UPWARD: Without lifting your lower back off the machine, inhale and slowly bring your back up off the machine using your abdominal muscles to bring you up.
  
• DOWNWARD: As you exhale, return your body to the starting position.
  
• Ensure that you are keeping your abdominal muscles tight throughout this exercise and really focus on squeezing them.

This move may also be done by placing hands behind the head and keeping your elbows parallel to the floor.

REMEMBER: If you are performing this move with arms crossed behind your head, don't pull your neck to lift you off the bench. Your arms should only provide support for your neck; the wider your elbows, the more focus is placed on your abdominal muscles.

ALTERNATIVES: You can also use a standard bench or Swiss ball for this move. Lie on the floor and rest your calves on the bench or ball.

Girl performing the ending movement on an upper crunch ab machine

Girl performing an upper crunch using a ball

Author: Dimi Ingle.
Copyright: Remedium. This article may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Remedium.