Keep your feet flat on the ground and knee bent to balance the position. “One common mistake people make is that they pull on their heads when lifting and also use their neck muscles to lift themselves up, which can strain your neck,” says Marko. To get a lean look all around, you need to do exercises that work all of the abdominal muscles. Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each set. Hold on to this position for the count of one or two. Crunch to the maximum and pause and hold on to that position for a count of one. Focus the squeeze in your obliques here and lift your torso as much as you can. Well there is a lot to consider, but here’s how you can figure it out. (Try our 30-Day Plank Challenge or these three drills from trainer Rebecca Kennedy to attack belly fat and activate the entire core.). Also, completely avoid the common mistakes mentioned above to take only the positives out of the workout. This tends to create more bowel movement. The Pull-Over Crunch works on your upper abs. Lift your leg only as much as possible so that your spine is always straight throughout the workout. Hold the crunch for a count of one or two. How to Get Abs . Primary Muscles. Now, engage your core by squeezing your abs in to lift your shoulder blades and upper back off of the ground. You must have heard of the Plank exercise and how powerful it is for the core muscle toning. As you breathe out, extend your right hand completely in front of you and extend your left leg behind you. Now, as you exhale, bend at your waist by simultaneously lifting your legs and raising your shoulder blades along with your hands parallel to the legs in a Jackknife position. What Muscles Do Cross Crunches Work? After logging in you can close it and return to this page. As a beginner, you can stick to 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions for each set of crunches or its variations along with other ab routines. Follow the crunch exercise and its variation in the proper way. Rest your hands on the side of your body with the elbows at 90-degree angle to the floor. watch this video here -> 3weeksdiets.net, Did you know there’s a “deep detox” you can do first thing in the morning to burn more fat? If you want to challenge your muscles, then give cross crunches a whirl today. Rest your right fingertips behind the head as a support. That’s one perfect rep for you. Doing crunches alone won’t help you get the six packs. But, Crunches help in strengthening the core which together with lower body fat accounts for six-packs. We ♥ being transparent! Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps for each set. As a tip, lift your legs at approximately 30-45 degrees from the floor. Crunch clap also targets your rectus abdominis muscles primarily but also works on your obliques as well. Remember, not to lead the motion with your head. Side Plank Crunch also stabilizes your core and improve overall body balance. Now, lift your legs up bent at your knees and your knees are approximately 35-45 degrees while the shin is parallel to the floor. This marks your starting position. Ultimately, it is going to do a good job in strengthening and toning your abs. V Crunch The primary target muscle of the jackknife crunch is the rectus abdominis. Quick inhale and back to the starting position. Also, the ab exercise tones up the transverse abdominus and medial glute (one of the three gluteus muscles that make up your butt). As a result, that is going to upset the efforts you put in by delaying or never offering the desired outcome. But they're not the most complete or effective abs workout, Paul explains. Now, as you breathe out, flex the abs by crushing your abdominal muscles and curl up your upper body and lift your shoulder blades. If you feel that as you lift your legs behind, your lower back begins to dip, don’t lift your legs too much. Repeat the same movement but this time with your left leg touching your right elbow and lower back again to the starting position. Now, lift both your legs vertically up until they are perpendicular to the ground. Perform 3 sets of Twist Crunches till fatigue in every set. Place your hands behind your head and keep your elbows flared to the side. Everything you need to know to get started with this high-fat, low-carb diet. Let the focus point be right above the kneecap. Go for the maximum contraction of the core muscles and hold on to the position for a count of one or two. This marks the completion of one perfect repetition. Support your head using your left hand’s fingertips. Easy thing is to keep your chin up without tucking it in your chest. However, if you ask me the 3 best variations of crunches that will put up a challenging difficulty level, then it would be ideal to go with Oblique V Crunch, Pull-over Crunch and Jackknife crunch.