Whether you're experiencing back pain or you're ready for a challenge, these variations will help you get the most out of the core exercise.Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and exercise nutrition coach based in Halifax., bicycle crunches are an excellent exercise. Crunches activate your abdominal muscles through lumbar flexion, which is flexing or rounding at the lower part of the spine.
From a lying position, with your abs engaged and lower back pressed into the floor, place your hands behind your head and raise your head and tops of your shoulder blades off the floor. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and lean back onto your forearms, elbows stacked under your shoulders.Extend your left leg, keeping it a couple of inches off the floor. Lift your right foot off the floor and pull your right knee toward your chest.is one of the easiest and most effective ways to increase the challenge of any core exercise. As with any resistance training movement, adding load provides an additional stimulus for the muscle fibers, boosting muscle growth.
Sit upright in a firm, stable chair with your feet flat on the floor. Tilt your pelvis so your lower back is pressed against the back of the chair so your abdominals are engaged.Using your abdominal muscles, twist your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee. Think about curling your chest toward your belly button. Only rotate as far as you are comfortable.
Reverse the motion, straightening your right leg back to the starting position while resisting the band's pull.Variation for Building Stability: Isohold Bicycle Crunches