A Total Gym is a home gym that can be used to do full body workouts for every major muscle group. You can target your abs with several exercises. Some exercises merely use the angle of the glide board and gravity to offer resistance to strengthen your abs. The higher you set the incline, the harder the exercise is to do. You can also use the cables attached to the glide board for added resistance while performing Total Gym crunch exercises.
Incline Ab Crunch
The incline ab crunch on the Total Gym is performed lying face up on the glide board. There is only a small amount of movement during the exercise, but you should feel your abs working if you are doing it correctly. Lie face up with your head nearest the upright and your legs straight. Place your feet on the leg platform. Your arms support your neck by placing your palms behind your head. The elbows are bent and open to the sides. Next, lift your head and shoulders off the board and bring them toward your stomach. Return your head and shoulders to the bench to complete an incline ab crunch.
Reverse Crunch
The reverse crunch is very different than the incline ab crunch. Instead of raising the upper body and keeping the legs still, the reverse crunch targets your abs by lifting your lower body instead. The exercise is done by lying face up on the glideboard and holding onto the wing accessory on the upright. Your arms are straight with the palms up when you begin. Your knees are bent at right angles and held in the air with the thighs perpendicular to the glide board. The lower legs are parallel to the glideboard and the feet are flexed. From there, curl your lower back and raise your hips to bring your knees toward your head. Maintain the 90-degree angle of the knees. Lower the hips slowly back onto the board to return to the starting position.
Pullover Crunch
The pullover crunch uses resistance from the Total Gyms cables to work your abs through an upper body crunch movement. The legs remain on the glide board with the knees bent during this crunch exercise, but the head and shoulders raise into the air like with the incline crunch. Unlike the incline crunch, your arms reach straight over your head and hold onto the cable's handles with your palms facing up and then the arms move forward with your body as you crunch up. Begin lying on your back with your head near the upright and your feet on the bench. Hold the handles with your biceps next to your ears. Then, raise your head and shoulders off the board and simultaneously bring your arms up and forward until they are at chest height in front of your body. The arms do not bend. Return slowly to the starting position to complete the pullover crunch.
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