How to do a Reverse Crunch
- Lie on your back with knees bent and arms flat by your sides.
- Lift your knees over your hips so your shins are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Contract your lower abs to curl your hips up off the floor.
- Draw your knees gently toward your chest at the top.
- Lower with control, resisting the descent rather than dropping.
Keep in mind
- Curl the hips off the floor rather than just swinging the legs.
- Keep the knees at a fixed angle throughout.
- Lower slowly — the descent is where the work is.
- Press your hands into the floor for stability, not for launching.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs to generate momentum — slow down and use the abs.
- Rocking the knees back and forth while the hips never leave the floor — lift the hips.
- Arching the back on the way down — go slower and stop a little higher.
Breathing
Breathe out as you curl the hips up, in as you lower.
Take care
Gentler on the neck than a crunch, so it is a good swap if crunches leave your neck sore.
Easier and harder
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