Easy Ab Workouts for a Six Pack

Abdominal Crunches, Including the Leg Crunch and Straight Arm Crunch

Oct 14, 2009

Solid abdominals exercises are an integral part of any good workout, and nothing works your core muscles as good as crunches. Two useful types are leg and straight arm.

The crunch is one of the top abdominal sculpting exercises in the world and can tone and tighten your abs like few other exercises. Two popular variations of the crunch are the straight arm crunch and the leg crunch.

Easy Ab Workouts

The straight-arm crunch is a variation of the crunch that can be done as a crunch or sit-up, and is an intermediate level exercise. The straight-arm crunch keeps the arms straight out in front of you. It is meant to emphasize the straightness of the upper body, and stretch out the abdominals in a more upright position than the position of a regular crunch.

Abdominal Crunches

The straight-arm crunch begins the same way as the regular crunch but with the arms stretched straight out overhead on the ground above you while you are lying.

It is executed as any crunch is done with the feet on the ground and the knees bent. In this exercise, though, the crunch is done with the arms as straight and aligned with the rest of the body as possible. The arms are kept straight as the upper body is lifted towards the knees, and reach upward and outward as far as possible at the climax of the crunch. The crunch can be done normally with weights in hand to enhance the exercise or against the wall to give your arms a point to reach for.

A more difficult and advanced variation of this exercise can be done by doubling motions, much like the double crunch. Instead of crunching the upper body over stationary legs, with the knees bent, you can start with your entire body straight. When the upper body crunch upward with the arms extended, the legs can also be lifted using the abs, creating a second motion to further work the lower abs.

Beginners' Ab Exercises

In nearly every other crunch, the upper body is lifted towards the stationary legs. In the leg crunch, however, the tables are turned. A beginner’s exercise that basically features the lower half of the reverse crunch, the leg crunch works the lower abdominals by lifting the legs toward the upper body at the mid-section.

The leg crunch is begun with the back and head flat on the ground, as well as the arms. The legs begin in the position of the reverse crunch, with the knees bent and lower legs parallel with the upper body.

Leg Crunch

This exercise is executed by using the abdominals to bring the legs in toward the upper body. Depending on your range of motion, the legs will start with the lower legs pointed outward, parallel with the body, and end with the thighs resting on the stomach and chest, and the lower legs pointed upward.

These exercises can be complimented by a number of other abdominal exercises, including:

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