What Parts Of Your Abs Do Bicycle Crunches Affect?

The American Council on Exercise ranked bicycle crunches as the most effective abdominal exercise in July 2001. The bicycle crunch helps to strengthen the muscles of your entire core. The bicycle crunch is an exercise made for all fitness levels because it can be modified to be easier or more challenging depending on your goals.

Muscles Worked

A variety of muscles make up the core. According to the American Council on Exercise, bicycle crunches work the obliques, rectus abdominis and the transversus abdominis. The transversus abdominis is the deepest abdominal muscle, which wraps around the torso and help improve posture. The obliques are on the sides of your torso and are responsible for lateral flexion of the spine and abdominal rotation. Your rectus abdominis also plays a role in posture and can be identified as the popular six-pack muscle.

Form

Correct form is crucial to seeing the results of your efforts. Begin by lying on your back with your navel drawn in. Bend your knees so that they hover above your hips and slowly lift your shoulder blades off the mat. Place your hands beside your ears without pulling on your next. Exhale and twist your left elbow to your right knee, while extending your left leg out. Pause for two seconds and release. Alternate and twist your right elbow to your left knee. Common mistakes in bicycle crunches are pulling on the neck and not rotating through your core.

Adding Intensity

You can make your bicycle crunch more intense or easier, depending on your fitness level. If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can increase the intensity of your bicycle crunch by performing your crunches with straight legs. Rather than bending your knee, keep both legs straight as you twist and crunch. The longer lever of your legs places a greater demand on the abdominals. You can make your crunches easier by keeping both knees bent and not extending the legs out.

Considerations

Mixing up your core workout is crucial to staying balanced in strength and keeping your body challenged. Add a variety of core exercises into your fitness routine like planks, crunches, reverse crunches or leg lifts. Focus on completing three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions per exercise.