← EXERCISE LIBRARYCalisthenics
Reverse Crunch
Curls the pelvis toward the ribs rather than the ribs toward the pelvis, loading the lower abdominals with no strain on the neck.
- 01Lie on your back with the arms flat beside you and the knees bent over the hips.
- 02Press the lower back into the floor and exhale.
- 03Curl the pelvis up and in so the hips lift a few inches off the mat.
- 04Lower slowly until the hips touch down, keeping the back flat throughout.
- 01Lift the hips, not the feet.
- 02Lower back stays printed on the floor the whole set.
- 03Exhale on the way up — the breath is what gets the ribs down.
- 01Swinging the legs to generate momentum, which moves the work into the hip flexors.
- 02Letting the lower back arch on the way down, which is where most people feel it the next day for the wrong reason.
- 03Pulling with the neck or the arms instead of curling from the pelvis.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.