Tuesday 5 April 2011

Bicycle Crunch Exercise for Abs



Bicycle Crunch Exercise came in at the top of the list of best exercises for the rectus abdominus. This is the conclusion of a study at San Diego State University that compared 13 common abdominal exercises in order to find which ones really strengthen the abs. Each exercise was ranked for muscle stimulation (measured with EMG) in the rectus abdominis, the external obliques and internal obliques.

Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring knees up to about 45- degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keep even, relaxed breathing throughout.

1. Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

The bicycle crunch requires both the upper and lower abdominal muscles to be used as the legs are moving in a bicycle motion and the body is raised into a crunch. The body twists slightly as the elbows are meeting the knees, bringing the obliques into play and making this a great exercise that works all the abdominal muscles at once.

The bicycle crunch is about strengthening the abdominal muscles. The good news is, to see those muscles you can do fat burning exercises, to burn that belly fat covering your abs.

You'll also need to make sure you're eating a healthy, balanced diet, it's the most important part of the whole process.

1 comment:

  1. you can burn fat quicker and make room for more abdominal exercise on your body for a tone and muscular appearance. Unfortunately, many people use them as a shortcut and fail to workout in addition to using supplements. The perfect combination for maximum results is weightlifting, good nutrition, and the proper vitamins and minerals necessary for good health.

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