Bent Knee Crunches
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Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
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Now place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Do not lock your fingers behind your head.
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While pushing the small of your back down in the floor to better isolate your abdominal muscles, begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.
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Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back as you contract your abdominals and exhale. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. At the top of the movement, contract your abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second.
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After the one second contraction, begin to come down slowly again to the starting position as you inhale.
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Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
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Tips:
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Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum.
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Variations:
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There are many variations for the bent knee crunch as it can be performed on a decline bench, with weights, or on top of an exercise ball.
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Alternative Exercises for Bent Knee Crunches
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Crunches
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Elbow To Knee Crunches
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Touch Toes
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Ball Crunches
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