Abdominal exercises do not require a lot of workout time to be effective. An effective stomach-strengthening workout requires the right selection of exercises. The vertical leg crunch fits the requirements of a challenging, effective abdominal exercise. It is easy to perform, requires no equipment and is adaptable as your strength increases.
Vertical Leg Crunch
Perform the vertical leg crunch from a supine position. Lie on the floor. Raise your straight legs toward the ceiling until they are perpendicular to the rest of your body. Flex your feet so your toes are facing your upper body. Place your hands behind your head and point your elbows out to the sides. Tighten your stomach, which strengthens your transverse abdominis muscle, exhale and lift your torso toward your legs. Aim to lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Inhale and slowly lower, but keep your head and shoulders off the floor until you complete you final repetition. If straight legs cause pain in your back during this exercise, bend your knees slightly and cross your ankles.
Rectus Abdominis
Your rectus abdominis is strengthened when you perform the vertical leg crunch. The rectus abdominis is a long muscle positioned down the center of your stomach. It attaches on the lower portion of your ribs and into your pelvis. When you shorten the distance between your ribs and pelvis, the rectus abdominis muscle contracts. As you lift your torso toward your legs during the vertical leg crunch, the distance between your ribs and pelvis shortens. According to Dr. Peter Francis, who tested 13 abdominal exercises for effectiveness at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University, the vertical leg crunch ranked No. 4 for strengthening the rectus abdominis. The results of his studied were presented in the May 2001 issue of ACE Fitness Matters.
Obliques
Francis' study revealed the vertical leg crunch as the fifth strongest exercise out of the 13 studied to engage the oblique muscles. Your obliques are on the sides of your stomach and are placed in a diagonal position. When you shorten the distance between your ribs and the side of your hips, the obliques contract to control the movement.
Variety
Increase the challenge of the vertical leg crunch by adding a pelvic raise to the exercise. At the same time you lift your torso toward your legs, lift your hips off the floor. Think about putting footsteps on the ceiling and raise up your legs straight toward the ceiling. As you lower your torso, return your hips to the floor. Adding the pelvic raise deepens the contraction in your rectus abdominis as you shorten the distance between your ribs and pelvis.
Member Comments