A Roman Chair may refer to a couple of different gym machines. The captain's chair or hanging leg station is one variation of a Roman Chair on which a person can do ab exercises from an upright position. Another version of the Roman Chair is used for ab and back exercises from a lying position. The oblique muscles work mainly as stabilizers for these exercises, but the challenge of stabilization is enough to strengthen the obliques.
Hanging Reverse Crunches
The hanging reverse crunch is done on an upright Roman Chair. It may be challenging for some people to hold their upper bodies up on the machine as they do the reverse crunch, but it will be easier on a Roman Chair than by hanging from parallel bars on a hanging leg raise station.
Put your back against the back pad of the chair and your forearms on the arm pads. Hold the handles. Your legs should hang straight toward the floor. Press your legs together. Look forward and pull your shoulders back and down. Bend your knees and raise them toward your chest. Your movements should be slow and controlled so that your upper body can stay still. Straighten your legs again, also without moving your upper body, to finish a hanging a reverse crunch.
Oblique Knee Raises
The oblique knee raises are a similar exercise to the hanging reverse crunches. The obliques stabilize your upper body as you lift your legs. These oblique knee raises, however, add a twist to your lower body that places more emphasis on the oblique muscles.
Get on the Roman Chair with your back against the back pad and your arms on the arm pads. Point your legs straight toward the floor and bring your knees up toward your left shoulder. Rotate the lower body, but keep the upper body against the back pad. Lower your legs straight again. Do as many reps as you desire on the left side and then repeat the exercise by lifting your knees to the right.
Weighted Sit-up
The classic sit-up exercise for the abs can be done lying on a Roman Chair and with a weight to increase the difficultly of the exercise.
Sit on the machine, securing your lower legs under the leg pads by hooking your ankles under the bottom pad. Lean back so your torso is parallel to the floor. Hold a weighted plate or dumbbell against your chest, or do the exercise without additional weight. Raise your upper body and sit-up tall. Move with control so that you do not use momentum. Lie back to finish a sit-up.
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