I’ve tried to include as much variety in this list of alternative exercises as possible. In this guide, I’m going to give you 14 of my favorite exercises that can be used to replace Reverse Crunches. Whatever the reason, you’re in the right place. You may not be a fan of Reverse Crunches or maybe you just want to add some variety to your workouts. However, sometimes you may find yourself wanting an alternative exercise for Reverse Crunches. They work the entire abdominal area (especially the lower abdominals) and don’t require any equipment. Subscribe to the Scrubbing In newsletter for weekly wellness advice you can trust.Reverse Crunches are a simple yet extremely effective core exercise. As you reach your maximum distance onto the ball, exhale and roll back to your starting position. Extended your arms onto the ball and then slowly roll down the ball, keeping your core muscles tight and also making sure your body stays straight the entire time. Start tall kneeling with both your knees cushioned on the ground and keep the body straight. Flex one knee and bring it towards the chest while keeping the other leg completely extended. Be sure to squeeze your abdominal muscles during the entire movement. Place your feet in TRX strap handles and then elevate into a pushup position with your hands planted on the floor shoulder-width apart. Be sure to keep your hips elevated the entire time while keeping your glutes tight. Reverse the move and then repeat using the other leg. Push through your heels while tightening your glutes to elevate your hips. Start by lying supine on your back with knees bent and heels planted into the ground. Keeping good tall position, pull the cable to your chest and then turn and rotate, pressing the cable down and to the side while keeping the abdominal muscles tight the during the entire movement. Position your inside leg in front with your other knee planted on the ground-make sure it is cushioned. Kneel next to the high rope on a cable machine. Extend the legs back to the starting position and then repeat. Keep the core tight and slowly tuck your knees towards your chest until your toes are on top of the ball. Stability ball knee tuckĮlevate feet on top of the ball while you stay in a pushup position with hands planted on the ground. Keep your feet dorsiflexed (pull your toes towards you) during the entire movement.

Return the leg back to starting position and repeat with the other leg. Lower one leg until the foot is 2-3 inches above the ground. Lay supine on your back and lift both legs to extend them straight up. If you have difficulty doing this exercise, then try it braced on your knees instead of your feet. Be sure to keep all muscles of the core and gluteus region tight to keep good stability. Lie on your side with your forearm on the ground directly below your shoulder. Stack your feet so they are directly on top of each other and then, by activating your core, lift the hips off the ground to straighten the body. Place the arm back down and repeat with the other arm. While keeping the core tight and preventing rotation of the hip, reach a single arm straight out and hold for 2-3 seconds. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and your forearms on the floor. Click the following links for a video demonstration of each abdominal exercise. Replace traditional crunches with these other abdominal exercises to develop and strengthen the abdominal region in a safe and healthy way. Crunch alternatives to work your ab muscles This hyperflexion of the lumbar spine places significant stress on the vertebral discs and can result in significant injuries. The structure of the lumbar vertebra are designed to enable sufficient stability in the lumbar spine and, therefore, not designed to flex the amount seen in abdominal crunches. The hyperflexion of the crunch motion results in flexion of the lumbar spine, which compresses the lower back region. While there is significant muscular contraction that results from this movement, there is a red flag you should know about. The basic crunch is accomplished by lying supine while hyperflexing the spine to contract the muscles of this region. The common misunderstanding is that the only way to develop those “ripped” abs people rave about is by adopting various forms of crunches. The abdominal region consists of various muscles including the transverse abdominal, internal obliques, external obliques and the rectus abdominis. There have long been common misunderstandings with regard to training the abdominal region.

Reverse crunch alternative