Crunches are an exercise to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Over time, your body does not make the same improvements if you continue to perform the same exercises. A leg circle adds a variation to your crunch to increase the intensity of this stomach strengthening exercise. Perform this circular leg crunch with both legs, one leg or from a hanging position.
Strength Training
Your stomach will respond with increased strength and tone to circular leg exercises. Since you are performing strength training movements, allow for a day of rest between your workouts for muscle recovery. Your muscles need recovery time when you exercise them to the point of fatigue. During your abdominal leg circles, perform as many repetitions as you can until you cannot complete one more. This guarantees a fatigue in the muscle. Then, rest for one to two minutes before you complete another set to fatigue.
Single Leg
Perform leg circles one leg a time to strengthen your lower abdominal area. Lie on your back with your left knee bent and left foot on the floor. Extend your right leg straight into the air so your right foot is above your right hip. Point your toes and rotate your entire leg in a clockwise circle. Make sure the rotation is originating in your hip and not your ankle. Begin with small circles about the size of a dinner plate and gradually increase to make your circle as large as you can. Once you have reached the largest circle, reverse to a counterclockwise direction and gradually reduce the size of your circle to a dinner plate size. Complete this exercise on both legs.
Both Legs
Leg circles are also performed using both legs at the same time. This is an advanced exercise and should be attempted only after you can successfully complete the single leg circles. Lie on your back with both legs extended straight in the air and your feet in line with your hips. Begin your circles with both feet. Imagine that your ankles are tied together so that you move both legs with the same speed and diameter. Gradually increase the size of your circles until your feet almost touch the floor. Reverse the direction and reduce the circle size. Continue until your muscles reach fatigue.
Leg Raises
Hanging leg raises are a challenging abdominal exercise. When you have mastered hanging by your hands and raising your straight legs to the height of your hips or chest, add a circular variation to increase your workout. Hang from a bar by both hands with your legs straight underneath your body. Lift your straight legs to the height of your hips or chest. Slowly lower your feet clockwise. Complete five or six clockwise rotations before you complete five or six counterclockwise rotations.
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