Pump Up Your Abs with Rowing Crunches

Healthy and strong abs are more than just easy on the eyes… they keep injuries at bay, promote good posture and keep your stomach flat. Rowing crunches are excellent for working all the muscles in your midsection and don’t require any equipment at all.

MUSCLES WORKED WITH ROWING CRUNCHES

Crunches target your rectus abdominis, the muscle that gives you the “six-pack” look when you work it enough. It’s also the main superficial muscle around your stomach. You use it to curve your spine as you bring your chest to your hips while doing crunches.

As you do rowing crunches, you’ll bring your knees to your chest as you keep your torso at a 45° angle to the floor, which means that:

• the six-pack muscles are worked the most, and your hips are also engaged when your legs are extended.
• the obliques, which make up the sides of your abs, help you bend forward and support your torso.
• you’ll also work your transverse abs if you really try to pull in your stomach during the entire exercise. It contracts when you exhale, shrinking your waistline and pushing your diaphragm up toward your rib cage. The more you contract, the smaller your waist gets.

HOW TO DO ROWING CRUNCHES

Getting into position:

Preferably using an exercise mat, sit with your hands on the floor slightly behind your hips with your fingers pointing forward. Recline your chest to a 45° angle and extend your legs to keep your balance. Remember to keep your legs straight and your feet together as you hold them a few centimeters off the floor.

How to do the exercise:

Now that you’re in the starting position, inhale as you engage your core and bring your knees toward your chest. Only use the strength in your abs to move. Your knees should be slightly bent and should almost touch your chest midway through the exercise. Use your hands to maintain your balance and keep your back straight. Your knees and feet should stay together throughout the exercise.

Contract your muscles for two seconds, then exhale as you slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise as many times as you’d like. Remember to keep your neck fairly straight so that your chin stays far away from your chest.

Variations:

There are so many crunch variations that let you target a wide range of areas in your abdominal wall. With so many to choose from, you’ll work every part of your midsection for balanced results.

Reverse crunches

This crunch variation both elongates and strengthens your spine. Instead of bringing your chest to your knees, bring your legs to your chest. It targets the lower part of your abs.

Double crunches

This variation targets both the upper and lower parts of your abs. The starting position is the same as for reverse crunches. Next, raise your torso and hips at the same time to bring your chest and knees together. Gradually return to the starting position to finish the repetition.

Planks

Static core strengthening is the best way to reinforce the deep muscles in your abdominal wall because it targets your transverse abs, which plays a key role in keeping your waistline down, building your back and improving your posture.

And that’s how you do this effective strength training exercise with precision to pump up your abs. Get rowing crunches as part of your FizzUp program when you activate the Six-Pack Add-on* or try a Challenge* available under the Single Workouts*.

*FizzUp PRO feature