Twisting with raised legs. Twisting on the floor with legs raised up: we strain the muscles even more! Twisting on the press with raised legs

In the article, I will tell you about a mega-effective exercise - twisting with legs raised up, with which you can get a relief flat tummy / powerful "cubes" of the press.

In my opinion, a very cool exercise (one of my favorites) for training the abdominal muscles (abs), moreover, it does not require any additional equipment, therefore, it can be easily performed at home, if desired 🙂 (lazy asses, you have no excuse).

Twisting with legs raised up: execution technique

Technologically, there is nothing difficult! This is only at first glance, it may seem that the exercise is difficult to perform, but I assure you, it is not. In fact, this is only with legs raised. That's all, the rest of the difference (in terms of technology) - well, absolutely none.

And so, technique:

STEP NUMBER VAN: slam down on the floor on your back like you're about to go to bed.

STEP NUMBER YOU: Now, the main thing is not to fall asleep.

3 / In general, from a supine position, you need to raise your Poles as high as possible (so that they are almost perpendicular to the floor), after which, slightly bend your knees (for convenience, and on initial stage, without this, in any way, with straight legs you are unlikely to be able to, because it is not enough, but as your fitness grows, you can perform this exercise with straight legs).

4 / Now, the matter is small. You just need to keep your lower back on the floor, twist your torso, while trying to touch your feet with your hands, then return to the starting position and repeat all over again. I almost forgot, watch your breath (on the rise - EXHALE, on the lowering - INHALE).

5 / Everything seems to be =) what did you expect more? =) Well, sorry to disappoint you.

As for questions like how many sets/reps to do on this exercise, my recommendation is simple: 3-4 sets for maximum reps within 30-50 seconds (developing MMI).

BMW for beginners in this exercise will be very difficult to develop, so train only SMI (slow muscle fibers). In short, MMB trains, as I said earlier, in the maximum repetitions in the range of 30-50 seconds. This means that you should do as many reps (with proper form) as you can within the 30-50 second range.

BMW trains with additional weights, in the range of 6-12 reps. This means that additional weights must be selected in such a way that you can do at least 6 repetitions, but not more than 12 (i.e. you should not master 13 anymore). Here's how I recommend taking weights:

Common Runtime Errors

The main problem (mistake) in most people is keeping the legs on weight.

This is quite difficult (besides, it requires a certain stretching), in fact, because of this, people begin to “swing” either with their legs or with their hands (sometimes separately, most often with their legs), helping the abdominal muscles to lift the body. This cannot be done, because the load gradually begins to leave the abdominal muscles in the lumbar and leg muscles. Therefore, the exercise is meaningless ...

The second problem (mistake) in humans is excessively fast lifting (twisting) of the body (a kind of jerking).

I also often notice ... it makes no sense to do the exercise in jerks, your goal is not the number of repetitions or something else, your goal is to feel the abdominal muscles (abs), therefore, the exercise should be performed UNDER CONTROL (not slowly, but not quickly, find your pace, your task is to feel the press). By the way, because of the jerks, you can also get injured ... so avoid them.

With this, I end this release. For dessert - video: a visual demonstration of this exercise:

Sincerely, administrator.

Hello dear friends of my blog. Your faithful assistant and consultant Vitaliy Okhrimenko is with you, and today we continue to analyze the exercises from the top 10 for the press. And today we got to twisting with raised legs.

P.S. I wrote about how to effectively download the press here.

To be honest, I really like this exercise. It happens how you do these twists after hanging leg raises, and then you fix the process with reverse twists, the press is on fire, and such cubes are drawn in the mirror. It's just a pity that they disappear right after dinner.

We joked and that's enough, let's get on topic.

The leg-raised crunch focuses primarily on the rectus abdominis, although the obliques also get a decent amount of work. This exercise does not so much work on relief as it helps to burn subcutaneous fat. Of course, this is only subject to an integrated approach.

Twisting with raised legs can safely be called a basic exercise, and due to the ease of implementation, it is very popular - after all, to perform the exercise, you do not need any special devices, benches and other things, do it calmly at home and enjoy the results.

Initial position

In the starting position, we lie down on the floor, raise our legs perpendicular to the floor, you can bend a little at the knee joint. You can cross your legs at the ankles, or keep them parallel pressed against each other.

The position of the hands is even more varied. You can cross your arms over your chest, you can stretch it forward in front of your chest, you can put it behind your head and hold it at your temple. Each option is good in its own way, we try everything and choose the most convenient. The only point, if you keep your hands on the back of your head, you need to carefully monitor so as not to pull your head with your hands. This method can lead to neck injury. And do we need it?

Stretching your arms forward, you need to reach out with your fingertips to the soles of your feet, this approach will be quite effective.

Raised leg crunch technique

We do the twisting itself sharply, accompanying it with a strong exhalation, at the top point we strain the press as much as possible, after which we return to the starting position slowly, the press is tense during the return.

How many sets?

This exercise is primarily aimed at burning subcutaneous fat in the abs, so the number of approaches is 4-5.

How much to rest?

Less than 30 seconds between sets.

*note: sets, repetitions and rest are described in the case of performing the exercise as an independent exercise at home in your free time. I doubt you have the strength to do 5 sets of 20 after reverse crunches or roller exercises.

If your goal is to burn subcutaneous fat, then this exercise should be done at a fast pace. With a high number of repetitions: 25 - 30 in the approach.

When performing the exercise, you need to be careful about swinging the body. The fact is that if your legs sway from side to side, then you will not be able to fully load your press. Part of the load will go to inertia, part to the strength of the legs and lower back. What about the press? Therefore, I conjure you: keep your legs in one position throughout the exercise. Hope agreed.

Forget the easy way with your feet against the wall. This option is absolutely nothing more effective than simple twists. The fact is that the load on the press is much higher when the legs are on weight. After all, holding the legs occurs due to the rectus abdominis muscle, which, in addition, we also reduce over and over again. So don't make it easy on your abs if you want to be proud of them!

For more trained people, additional weights can be used. The options for the location of weights are similar to the options for the location of the hands. That is, you can hold the weight with your arms crossed on your chest, you can hold it on outstretched arms in front of your chest or behind your head. The variant with arms crossed on the chest is the easiest.

crunches with legs up video

Thank you for your time. Hope it wasn't wasted.

See you soon!

Expert review

Actually, my colleague has already told you the most important thing. It is possible to get rid of a skinskin with bacon, which some proudly call "labor callus", while others call it an unkind "mammoth", but you will have to try.

If you haven’t worked out your figure for a very long time (or never at all?), if you recently gave birth, if you still ate as if the end of the world would come tomorrow, and the refrigerator was full, then your stomach is not only fat, but also flabby . Your abs hang like a mountaineer's backpack at the end of a hike and, of course, can't hold your insides properly. Body lifting exercises will first of all tone the press, tighten the muscles and give it the strength to hold the contents of the abdomen without spreading in different directions.

Another thing is that it will not be possible to get rid of a thick layer of cuttings with one pumping of the press. There is no anatomical or physiological relationship between belly fat and muscle. In order to burn fat, it is necessary to provide the body with a negative energy balance. Simply put, you should eat less than you burn. And this can be achieved in two ways:

• reducing the calorie content of the daily diet;
• increase in energy expenditure due to physical activity.

Principles of calorie reduction

According to scientific concepts, reducing the calorie content of the daily menu is the main method of treating obesity. Proper Diet- This is a complete and varied diet that includes any products. The main thing is that you do not eat more than necessary.

But do not rush to sew up your mouth, fill the refrigerator with vegetables and fruits alone. Meat, fats, including animals (horrible, really.), and even sweets - everything can be on your table if you follow a simple rule: reduce the calorie content of your menu by 20% every month from the current one. To do this, take a few simple steps:

• count how many calories you consume now;
• subtract 20% from this amount;
• develop a menu for yourself, taking into account the resulting figure;
• repeat in a month, but take the new calorie numbers as the basis for the calculation (taking into account the 20% discount already received); do this monthly until you start eating according to the daily calorie requirement for you (you can calculate it using a calculator).

How to increase energy consumption

The only known way is sport. Do not comfort yourself with the fact that in the office you are responsible for many projects, and mental work eats as many calories as physical work. If this is true, then why haven't you lost weight yet? So, my dear, without sports in any way. Build a press, work with dumbbells, run, jump rope (you can jump with a pole, who's stopping you?), do anything, but burn energy.

Contact a fitness trainer to select an individual training plan for you. What? Expensive? So you save 20% of food! That's the money and train!

By itself, pumping the press will do little to your stomach, with the exception of muscle tightening. But in combination with other weight loss measures, it will be an important step on your way to a slim body. Make sports and healthy eating your way of life and let the rest die of envy.

How to make a relief press

A beautiful and embossed press is not only a low level of subcutaneous fat, but also the ability to consciously strain the abdominal muscles (those same cubes). Only by strengthening the neuromuscular connection and learning to feel the involvement of the abdominal muscles, you can effectively perform various exercises on the press.

However, the difficulty lies in the fact that the more subcutaneous fat you have, the more difficult it will be for you to feel the involvement of the abdominal muscles in the work. In addition, an excessively large belly causes stretching of the abdominal muscles and significantly weakens the ability to consciously strain these muscles.

On the other hand, creating a press with cubes will still require physical exertion from you, since the press is also a muscle. However, the main exercises for pumping it are not hanging leg raises at all, but, first of all, static exercises for developing the muscles of the body - first of all, the vacuum of the abdomen.

How to download the press?

Fitseven has already written that the best way to quickly pump up the press is to combine dynamic exercises with static ones, as well as the development of internal abdominal muscles. In addition, we note once again that to burn subcutaneous fat, you need a diet and regular cardio, and not twisting at all.

The key to any ab exercise is perfect technique, not the number of reps or the amount of weight you add. However, to achieve the correct technique is possible only if the ability to maintain the abdominal muscles in a slight tension during their training.

A set of exercises for the press

1. Rise / roll

This exercise strengthens the rectus abdominis.

Lie on your back, legs straight, feet together. Stretch your arms up in front of your chest, palms facing down. Inhale, lower your chin to see your navel, and begin to slowly rise with a rounded back, lifting vertebra by vertebra off the floor. When the shoulder blades come off the floor, begin to exhale, continuing to slowly rise. Slowly, with a roll, return to the starting position without lowering your arms. Start with 4 repetitions, gradually increasing their number to 6.

2. Plank Pose

This exercise strengthens the oblique abdominal muscles.

Get on all fours, elbows should be exactly under the shoulders, fingers in the lock. Stretch your right leg back, placing it on the toe, while trying not to move your hips. Then stretch the left leg back, placing it on the toe next to the right. Hold this position for 20 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat 2 times. Gradually increase the time during which you hold the pose: first up to 30 seconds, then up to 1 minute.

3. Bridge with leg lift

Exercise strengthens the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles and the extensor muscle of the spine (lower back).

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet parallel to each other at shoulder width. Hands lie freely along the body, palms look down. Tighten your abs by pulling your stomach in. Take a breath. As you exhale, push your pelvis up so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulder blades to your knees. Hold for 30 seconds. Without changing position, straighten your left leg. Hold again for 30 seconds. Place your left foot on the floor and straighten your right foot, keeping the correct body position. Then place your right foot on the floor. This is 1 repetition. Do 4 repetitions, gradually increase their number to 8.

4. Side crunches on the ball

Sit on a fitball (gymnastics ball), feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Stepping feet forward, lie back on the ball with your left hand behind your head. Tightening your buttocks, push your pelvis up. Pull your stomach in and lift your upper body. Then turn your left shoulder to the right. Slowly return to position 4a. Perform all repetitions first with the left hand, then with the right. Start with 8-12 repetitions for each side, gradually increasing their number to 16.

5. Bent-knee crunches

This exercise strengthens the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.

Lie on your back, raise your legs bent at the knees so that the shins are parallel to the floor, feet together. Place the hands on the back of the head without joining, elbows apart. Tighten your abs by pulling your stomach in. Without changing the position of the legs, lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor. Slowly return to the starting position. Start with 8-12 repetitions, gradually increasing their number to 16-20.

6. Reverse twist

This exercise strengthens the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.

Lie on your back, raise your legs bent at the knees, pull your heels to the buttocks, palms on the back of your head. Without changing the position of the legs, tighten the muscles of the press and tear off the tailbone a few centimeters from the floor, and pull the knees to the chest. The amplitude of movement is small, only the abdominal muscles work. Slowly return to the starting position. Start with 8-12 repetitions, gradually increase their number to 16-20.

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Hanging leg raise technique.

First you need to hang on the crossbar. It is recommended to use a straight grip, although I occasionally use a grip where the arms are turned towards each other and do not suffer from this in any way. It is not recommended to hold on to the crossbar reverse grip, with this approach, the load is removed from the abdominal muscles, and doing the exercise is not so convenient.

In the starting position, you need to hang on fully extended arms and with straightened legs, the back is slightly bent in lumbar feet do not reach the floor.

From the lower point, the actual lifting of the legs in the hang begins. The legs are lifted in a strong concentrated movement, something like a throw of the legs forward. When lifting, you can “cheat” a little - taking your legs a little back before jerking. We raise our legs as far as possible, it will be considered ideal when you touch the crossbar with your toes or get your knees to your nose. The difference is how much your knees are bent during the exercise.

In a good way, we allow a slight bend in the knees, in whom the abdominal muscle is weaker, you can bend your knees harder. Here the main condition is that the angle of knee flexion throughout the exercise is approximately the same. I once had to see how one young man began an exercise with straightened legs, and finished with an angle of 30 degrees in the knee joint. This is how you don't have to do it.

At the top point, you need to tighten the press and fix slightly. It is clear that it is impossible to demand from you to stay at least a second motionless at the upper limit of the amplitude, gravity will not allow you. But trying to get closer to this is simply necessary. That is, to fix at the top at least for a fraction of a second.

And then the lowering of the legs begins. And this moment is the hardest in the exercise. After all, you just want to throw your legs arbitrarily down, let them fly, driven by the laws of physics. But this cannot be allowed in any way, because the negative stage in this exercise is no less important than the positive one. It is necessary to smoothly lower the legs to the lowest point, all the while keeping the press tense. So you will do many fewer repetitions, but the overall effect of the exercise will be much greater.

Gently lowering your legs will help you avoid swinging the body, although it will not be possible to completely prevent swinging. At the bottom point, you need to maintain a small pause, about one second, or even less. After the body stabilizes, proceed to the next repetition.

Exercises with which you can remove the stomach and pump up the press

There is a huge variety of different exercises for the abdominal muscles. We have tried to highlight for you the most effective and useful, collected in one complex.

To begin with, I would like to say about the two undisputed leaders. These exercises are slightly different from standard ab exercises in their relative ease of execution. Even a beginner can easily handle them.

Exercise number 1 - vacuum. This exercise was developed by one of America's bodybuilders, who was awarded the title of "Miss Olympia" for the relief of his physique. And his press played a huge role in this. This exercise allows you to achieve the tone of the transverse abdominal muscles, and achieve a flat stomach in the shortest possible time.

The exercise is performed as follows. Starting position - standing, hands on hips. Then take a deep breath, completely filling your lungs with air. Then, exhale slowly and under control, while drawing in the stomach as much as possible. Stay in this position. After that, take a slow breath, pulling the stomach in even more so that it feels like it is practically touching the spine. Then return to the starting position. One such repetition should be from 20 to 30 seconds. This exercise can also be done sitting, lying down, or on all fours, but the standing variation is the most effective.

Exercise number 2 - plank. Also very good exercise in order to achieve a flat stomach. Take a position lying on your stomach. Then, stand in such a position that your body rests on your elbows and toes. The body should form a straight line, without any deflection. While doing this exercise, draw in your stomach and tighten your abdominal muscles. In just a few seconds, you will be able to feel the tension in your entire body.

Exercise number 3 - twisting classic. Take a lying position, legs bent at the knees, hands behind your head. From this position, lift the body up, as if twisting the abdominal muscles. The main thing when performing is that your body twists, and does not rise like a straight line.

Exercise number 4 - bicycle. Sit on the floor, put your hands behind your head, legs extended forward and hanging above the floor. Then, bring the right leg, bent at the knee, to the body, while touching it with the elbow of the left hand. Then switch arms and legs.

Exercise number 5 - leg raises. Lying position, legs and arms on the floor. Raise up to a strictly vertical position, first one leg, then the other. Also, alternately, put them on the floor and repeat the exercise.

Exercise number 6 - stretching the legs. Lying position, hands lie under the belt, legs stretched up and bent at the knees. Stretch your legs forward and up, then return to the starting position.

Exercise number 7 - side twists. Lying position, legs bent at the knees, arms extended forward on the floor. Twist the lateral muscles of the body so that your left hand touches your left toe and vice versa.

In this article, we briefly told you how to properly pump the press to remove the stomach. But reading is reading, and getting rid of fat in practice is not so easy! Therefore, do not waste your time and try to put your new knowledge into practice right now!

Proper exercise for the back

Press exercises for a spinal injury, as well as with a hernia and other pathologies in the lumbar region, are as follows:

1. Stretching. At home, you can take a horizontal position and stretch with outstretched arms and legs in different directions. In the gym you can (if there are no contraindications from the doctor);
2. Standing on all fours, you need to smoothly bend your back according to the “cat” principle at least ten times;
3. From a prone position (legs bent at the knees), you need to raise the pelvis with emphasis on the feet and shoulders;
4. Perform from a horizontal position rotational movements feet, as when riding a bicycle;
5. Lying on the stomach, arms extended forward. At the same time, you should raise your arms and legs (only due to movement in the joints, without overloading the muscles of the lower back) with a slight deflection and a delay in this state for several seconds.

Exercises for the press in diseases of the spine should be performed on an empty stomach.

But after training, no more than forty minutes later, you need to eat or drink a tonic cocktail, since it is during this period that the protein-carbohydrate window opens, due to which the absorption of substances increases several times.

In case of hunger, the body will begin to restore the calories spent by splitting muscle fibers. Thus, there is a thinning of tissues adjacent to the vertebrae and an aggravation of the disease. Remember that you need to train at least three to four times a week, but no more than five.

The number of exercises performed ranges from five to seven with repetitions of each within eight. Total time spent in the hall: 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes. Exceeding the norm is equated to strength training, providing negative impact on injured areas of the back.

Performing exercises for the press without a load on the spine is not only possible, but also necessary. The only rule is not to forget about the main goal of training. The press must be pumped slowly, in a passive form.

The load should increase gradually and it is better to carry out the tasks of the trainer under supervision and periodically undergo an examination for the manifestation of pathologies by the attending physician.

Denial of responsibility

The information in the articles is for general information purposes only and should not be used for self-diagnosis of health problems or for medicinal purposes. This article is not a substitute for medical advice from a doctor (neurologist, internist). Please consult your doctor first to know the exact cause of your health problem.

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Abdominal retraction

It is very useful to rhythmically draw in the stomach:

1. Bend the body, lean on your knees, back straight.
2. When inhaling, draw in your stomach.
3. Take a breath, relax.

This exercise should be performed several times during the day.

By pumping the press, you can acquire a beautiful posture, warn various diseases spinal column. If you pump the press, you can maintain physical health for a long time. Strengthening the lower part of the spinal column is especially useful for a man. Strong, well-developed muscles of the abdominal part of the abdomen allow you to hold in place and prevent the prolapse of internal organs during heavy physical exertion.

By pumping the press, you can strengthen the muscles of the abdominal part so that the spine will experience less load, i.e. the possibilities for strengthening the spine and keeping it healthy increase.

How to do abdominal exercises

Training tips for abdominal exercises:

1. Think of your muscles as bellows, and every time you pump your abs, squeeze your bellows as you lift your body. That is, all the abdominal muscles must undergo a load.
2. If the exercise does not require straightened legs, then keep the lower limbs bent at the knees. Bent knees relieve the load on the muscles of the lower back, on the contrary, loading the abdominal muscles.

Examples of abdominal exercises:

You need to lie with your back on a horizontal plane, if necessary, fix the upper half of the body, clinging to furniture, a bench, etc. Raise your legs at a right angle. If the exercise is difficult to perform, it is permissible to keep the legs bent. This exercise is contraindicated for people with problems in the lower part of the spine. Movements should be smooth. Thus, the lower abdomen is pumped. Do it as many times as you can.

Crunch exercise. Lie on your back on a horizontal surface. Raise your legs perpendicular to the floor. Raise the upper half of the body as high as possible from the floor, tear off the shoulder blades. Straighten your arms along the body. You can grab them over your head. For beginners, it is permissible to bend the legs at the knees. Always keep your abdominal muscles tense. Exercises should be smooth. Do as many times as possible.

Raise the torso for the middle abdominal muscles. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. The hands are clasped behind the head, and the elbows are retracted. Exhale and slowly lift your upper body off the floor. Inhale and take the starting position. Keep your head straight. Keep your abdominal muscles tight. Do it as many times as you can.

Take a starting position on the floor. At the same time raise the upper body and legs bent at the knees. On the exhale, raise, on the inhale, lower. Perform exercises smoothly. Do not lift your lower back off the floor. During the lift, you should strain the abdominal muscles. You should also perform as many times as possible.

There are twisting exercises that work the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. To increase the load, you can use dumbbells.

The subcutaneous fat layer will slowly but effectively be removed if massage is applied. You can perform a massage in the morning, lying in bed. First, stroking, then pinching and twisting the skin on the stomach until it turns red. Further, the massage procedure can be continued in the shower, using a contrast douche. Alternately directing either a hot or a cold jet of water to the stomach.

Removing fat is also possible with the help of ice as an aid. Cold is an enhancer of fat metabolism. Just wipe the problem area with ice and dry it with a towel.

If there is a goal to remove the stomach by pumping the press, then only the use of complex measures will lead to the achievement of the goal. These are exercises for the press, adherence to the correct diet, massage and other auxiliary procedures.

You will be interested

Twisting on the press is an exercise performed by athletes to gain a strong and embossed press. According to its biomechanics, it represents the rise of the body with a slight rounding of the back (kyphosis) in the thoracic region from a prone position. As a rule, twisting is not performed by the athlete in the maximum possible amplitude so that the load is constant and the abdominal muscles do not relax at the upper and lower points. Working in a similar execution technique, the load is accentuated on the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle.

This exercise has gained well-deserved popularity among athletes involved in crossfit, bodybuilding, fitness and martial arts, as well-developed abdominals play an important role in all these disciplines. And today we will tell you how to do crunches correctly - all possible variations of this exercise.

What are the benefits of crunches on the press?

I want to note right away that twisting is not an exercise identical to lifting the body or sitap. In twisting, the amplitude is not so important to us, there is absolutely no point in lifting the body to right angle how much continuous work of the abdominal muscles and control of movement - for this we somewhat round the back in the thoracic region. This slight kyphosis is perfectly acceptable and does not increase the risk of injury.

Twisting is good because by choosing one or another type of twisting that we will do in training, we can regularly diversify the training process and work out certain parts of the muscles of our press in isolation.

Because of this, I consider crunches to be the #1 ab exercise. It is quite simple, it is easy to feel the contraction and stretching of the working muscle group in it, most of its types do not require additional equipment, and with the help of twists you can properly work out the muscles of your press in just 10-15 minutes - a great option for those people who cannot devote much time to training.




Types and technique of performing the exercise

Let's look at how to properly do the most famous types of crunches, starting from the more basic, effective and common.

Classic crunches

The simplest variation of the twists of the press from the point of view of observing the correct technique is the classic one. The athlete performing the exercise lifts the body slightly bent in the upper part (the area of ​​the shoulder blades and the latissimus dorsi) from a prone position. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor or a fitness mat, legs are bent at the knees, firmly rest your feet on the floor, put your hands behind your head.
2. While exhaling, gently lift the upper body without changing the position of the lower back and buttocks - they remain firmly pressed to the floor. The upper back should be slightly rounded, so it will be easier for you to concentrate on contracting the abdominal muscles.
3. Smoothly continue lifting the torso until you feel how the load has reached its peak. Hold this position for a second to further statically contract the muscles.
4. Start going down. The lowering of the body must be controlled. It is not necessary to lower yourself completely to the floor, it is better to stop about ten centimeters from it when the abdominal muscles are most stretched. By working in such a reduced amplitude, you will increase the effectiveness of this exercise, since the load will be many times more intense.

Reverse crunches

An equally effective type of exercise is reverse twisting on the press, which emphasizes the main part of the load in the lower part of the press. The fundamental difference with the classic version lies in the fact that in reverse twisting we reduce the press by raising the legs, and not the body. Reverse twists can be performed both lying on the floor and lying on a special bench with your head up - there are no cardinal differences. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor or on an inclined bench, holding his hands on its upper edge. If you are doing the exercise on the floor, it is recommended to keep your arms straight down, they will help you better control the movement. Legs should be slightly bent at the knees.
2. Start lifting your legs up, while exhaling and gently lifting your lower back from the surface - this will provide the best contraction of the abdominal muscles.
3. Gently lower your legs and lower back down while inhaling. It is better to work here according to the same scheme as in ordinary twists - in a shortened amplitude with constant muscle tension.

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Incline bench crunches

Almost every modern gym is equipped with a special bench with an incline of about 30 degrees for working out the press, why not take advantage of this? Moreover, the exercise is just as effective as the classic lying twists. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: sit on an inclined bench, fasten your legs between the rollers at the top of the bench, cross your arms over your chest.
2. As you exhale, begin to twist, slightly rounding the upper back. The biomechanics of twisting on an incline bench is almost identical to the classic version, so here we work in the same amplitude.
3. Slowly lower down while inhaling. Here you can work in the maximum possible amplitude with a slight delay on the bench, so it will be easier to “squeeze” the rectus abs muscle, each time starting the movement from the starting position. More experienced athletes can work in this exercise using additional weights, holding a barbell disc or a small dumbbell in their hands at the level of the solar plexus.

Twisting in a block simulator while standing

An interesting option for those who want to diversify the load. The advantage of the block machine is that the load is continuous and the muscles are statically tense even in the top position. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: stand with your back to a block simulator or crossover, grab the handle with both hands (it is most convenient to do it with rope handle), place the handle behind the head at the level of the neck.
2. Start moving your body down, rounding the area of ​​​​the shoulder blades and tensing the abdominal muscles. You should lower yourself until your elbows touch your hips. Take a short break in this position. Of course, the weight in the simulator should be set small, otherwise you risk injury to the spine.
3. While inhaling, gently begin to unbend back, while straightening your back. Here we are working in full amplitude, a slight delay at the starting point is acceptable.

Twisting in a block simulator kneeling

Twisting in a kneeling block simulator is another variation of the exercise for which you will need an upper block. The difference lies in the amplitude - here it is shorter, so it will be easier for many to feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles in this particular variant. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: face the block simulator, grab the rope handle, kneel down with it. Keep your back straight and straight, and look forward.
2. Begin to lower the body down, while rounding the back and exhaling. As with the standing crunch, try to touch your elbows to your feet. Fix for a moment in this position, additionally straining the press.
3. Gradually begin to unbend. You can work both in full and in a shortened amplitude, try both options and stop at the one in which you feel the maximum load on the press.

© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com

Hanging twists

A technically challenging but effective option for old-school hard training enthusiasts. Hanging upside down on the horizontal bar, it is quite difficult to concentrate on doing exactly the twisting movement, and not lifting the body, but this moment comes with experience. You should not do hanging twists if you suffer from intracranial hypertension or increased intraocular pressure - it is fraught with an aggravation of the problem. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete hangs on the crossbar on bent legs, the entire body is lowered down, the back is straight, the hands are brought together at the back of the head. It is important that in the starting position the body does not sway, and there is no inertia.
2. Start lifting your body up, exhaling, rounding your back and raising your buttocks a little up. Do not try to work in full amplitude and try to reach the level of your knees with your head - there is little point in this. It is better to work approximately to the level of parallel with the ground, at this moment the tension of the abdominal muscles will be maximum.
3. Slowly lower yourself down while inhaling. If necessary, linger in the lower position for a couple of seconds to completely extinguish the inertia, start the movement from a stationary state.

Oblique twists

In this version of the twists, the bulk of the load falls on the oblique muscles of the abdomen, so oblique twists will be a great addition to any basic exercise which involves the rectus abdominis. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor, legs are bent at the knees, feet are pressed to the floor, hands are crossed at the back of the head. Place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other.
2. We begin to move the body up, exhaling and turning the body slightly in order to better feel the contraction of the oblique abdominal muscles. Try to reach the knee of the left leg with the elbow of the right hand. After that, change your legs and try to reach the knee of your right leg with the elbow of your left hand.
3. We do not go down completely, we work in a shortened amplitude, the oblique muscles should be “squeezed through” the entire approach.

© Andrey Popov - stock.adobe.com

Raised leg crunches

A very interesting exercise due to the combination of static and dynamic load, the press is tensed during the entire approach. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor, the back is pressed to the floor. We raise the legs up so that they are approximately perpendicular to the body, while the static tension of the lower part of the press begins. Hands should be crossed at the back of the head.
2. We begin a smooth movement of the body up, while exhaling. We slightly round the thoracic spine and try to reach our knees with our head. We keep the lower back motionless, do not tear it off the floor. Hold this position for a second.
3. Slowly lower down while inhaling. Here it is better to work in full amplitude, with a small pause in the starting position - so the contraction of the abdominal muscles will be maximum.

© chika_milan - stock.adobe.com

Twisting on fitball

If your gym has a fitball, you can diversify the load and try to do twisting on it. This exercise develops the neuromuscular connection with the rectus abdominis muscle well, and the buttocks and biceps of the thigh statically work in it, which will come in handy for many athletes. It is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: the athlete lies down on the fitball, we rest our feet on the floor, we place our feet a little to the sides, our arms are crossed at the back of the head.
2. We begin to lift the body up, exhaling and slightly rounding the back. Do not let the ball change its position, this is the point of the exercise, at this moment a large number of muscles responsible for balance and stabilization are included in the work.

Typical beginner mistakes

Many ab exercises have their own technical nuances that must be mastered in order to get the most out of them. Let's look at the most common mistakes, myths and misconceptions:

1. Do not train the press more than 1-2 times a week. Twisting is a fairly easy exercise, but even after it, the body needs time to recover.
2. Performing a large number of repetitions, you will not burn excess fat deposits on the abdomen and get the coveted "cubes". The optimal rep range for crunches is 12-20, combined with a diet tailored to your goals, this approach will give the maximum result.
3. Do not use too heavy weights. If you are doing crunches with a disc or a dumbbell, do not chase the weights, it is better to focus on mental concentration and contract the abdominal muscles in a more isolated way, but involving no assistant muscles in the work.

Monthly training program

The Internet is full of a huge number of training programs for the press. “Abs in a week”, “Abs in 7 minutes a day” and other nonsense that you should not waste your attention on. Below I propose a monthly work program for the development of abdominal muscles (4 training weeks), which is based on different kind twisting. You can use it if you want to improve muscle definition, make your abs stronger and increase the number of repetitions that you can perform without technical errors. The program is built on the principle of periodization, it alternates heavy and light workouts. Within one week, we do one heavy volume workout (for example, on Monday), and three days later (Thursday) we do a lighter workout to keep the muscles in good shape. In just a month, eight workouts are obtained.

Workout number	Workout type	Exercises
1	heavy	1. Hanging leg raises: 4 sets of 10-15 reps. 2. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 sets of 15-20 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 45-90 seconds.
2	Light	1. Twisting lying on an incline bench: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. 2. Twisting in a kneeling block simulator: 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
3	heavy	1. Twisting lying on an inclined bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 10-12 times. 2. Oblique crunches: 4 sets of 12-15 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 60-90 seconds.
4	Light	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 5 sets of 10-15 reps.
5	heavy	1. Twisting lying on an inclined bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 12-15 times. 2. Sitap: 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 75-90 seconds.
6	Light	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. 2. Reverse crunches: 2 sets of 12-15 reps.
7	heavy	1. Twisting lying on an inclined bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 15-20 times. 2. Sitap with additional weights: 3 sets of 10 times. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 90-120 seconds.
8	Light	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 trips of 12-15 repetitions.

Twisting with bent legs

We already had twists. This exercise will seem easier to someone.

Starting position: hands lie on the chest, legs bent at the knees, shoulders on the floor. Reach for your feet. Only the upper back works here, you do not need to tear your whole back off the floor.

The photo shows the maximum deflection, no more is needed. Do 30-50 times.