Abdominal curls are one of the most common stomach exercises performed because they are effective at strengthening the rectus abdominis. Your entire pelvis can be influenced when the rectus abdominis is weak, which can affect your posture and, subsequently, the alignment of the rest of your body. Performing abdominal curls, or crunches as they are also called, can help you to tighten your stomach muscles while strengthening your pelvis.
Step 1
Lie on your back on an exercise mat or workout bench. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor about 1 to 2 feet in front of your glutes. Position your feet so that they are hip-width apart. Clasp your hands behind your head.
Step 2
Pull your stomach in toward your spine, which will engage your pelvis as it stabilizes your lower back, and curl your head and shoulders up off the mat and toward your knees. Rest your head in your hands rather than pulling on your head or neck as you rise; all of the momentum should come from your core.
Step 3
Lower your upper body back down to the floor to starting position. Complete 10 to 15 repetitions.
Step 4
Alter the curl movement to strengthen your oblique muscles, which run alongside your torso, by bringing your right elbow toward your left knee as you rise. Lower back down and then repeat on the other side. Complete 10 reps on each side.
Tips and Warnings
- Increase the difficulty of an ab curl exercise by performing it on an exercise ball. The instability of the exercise ball forces your core to work harder to balance while doing the curl.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise mat
- Workout bench
- Exercise ball
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