FAST-ATTACH FITNESS

EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS

LOWER ABS CRUNCH

Primary Muscle Targeted:

Rectus Abdominis

Learning Difficulty Level: Beginner

Setup Difficulty Level: Beginner

Performance Difficulty Level: Beginner To Advanced

  • Fast-Attach Fitness Cable Attachment Lower Abs Crunch Exercise

    BEGINNER
DEMONSTRATION VIDEO
  • Fast-Attach Fitness Cable Attachment Lower Abs Crunch Exercise

    INTERMEDIATE
DEMONSTRATION VIDEO
  • Fast-Attach Fitness Cable Attachment Lower Abs Crunch Exercise

    ADVANCED
DEMONSTRATION VIDEO

EQUIPMENT & ATTACHMENTS

Equipment Needed To Perform This Exercise

• Adjustable-height single or adjacent dual cable machine

• Adjustable bench

• Fast-Attach All In 1 Fitness Strap

Equipment Shown Here

BODY MASTERS ADJUSTABLE-HEIGHT SINGLE CABLE MACHINE

Body Masters Adjustable-Height Single Cable Machine

Prime Fitness Adjustable Bench

Fast-Attach All In 1 Fitness Strap

• Click the links above to purchase

Choose One Attachment Option To Perform This Exercise

• Ab straps

• Thigh straps

• The Better-Fly

Attachments Shown Here

Amazon Ab Straps

• Click the link above to purchase a similar product.

SETUP

Equipment Setup

• Beginner: 15* decline bench

• Intermediate: flat bench, seat pad angled up

• Advanced: 15* incline bench

Equipment Distance From The Cable Pulley

• Approximately 3 feet

Attachment Setup

• Connect the All In 1 Fitness Strap to an adjustable-height single or adjacent dual cable machine.

• If you are using a single cable machine, connect the center anchor ring to the cable pulley.

• If you are using an adjacent dual cable machine, connect the side anchor rings to the adjacent dual cable pulleys.

• Attach the ab straps to the All In 1 Fitness Strap.

• Place the ab straps on the ground, on the bench, or leave them at the cable machine.

All In 1 Fitness Strap Attachment Setting Shown Here

• Loop 3

Angle Of Resistance

• Downward for beginner

• Closer to horizontal for intermediate

• Upward for advanced

EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS

Getting Into Starting Position

•Sit down on the bench and place the ab straps on your thighs, just above your knees.

Beginner:

• Slowly lie back on the bench and place your feet on top of the bench.

• Hold the sides of the bench pad with your hands close to your butt.

Intermediate:

• Pull your knees into you (this may cause you to move the weight slightly) and place your feet on top of the seat pad.

• Use your hands to help you scoot your butt forward until it is on top of the seat pad to support your tailbone area.

• Slowly lie back on the bench. You may need to reposition your butt on the seat pad after you lie down.

• Hold the top edge of the bench pad.

Advanced:

• Place your feet on top of the seat pad

• Slowly lie back on the bench. You may need to use your hands to help you scoot back a little.

• Hold the top edge of the bench pad.

Starting Position

• Lying, back to bench

• Head away from the cable pulley

• Pelvis in neutral position

• Legs bent approximately 90*

• Legs parallel to each other

• Feet relaxed

Beginner:

• Hold the sides of the bench pad with your hands close to your butt.

Intermediate:

• Hold the top edge of the bench pad.

Advanced:

• Hold the top edge of the bench pad.

Performing The Concentric Portion Of The Movement

• Initiate the movement by hinging at your hips and curling your tailbone off the bench to rotate your pelvis backward.

• Roll your hips backward to flatten your lower back against the bench as you continue to curl your tailbone upward to contract your lower ab muscles.

• Legs remain in the same position throughout the movement.

• You have rocked back too far if you start to feel tension in your hip flexors.

• Use a slow-to-moderate, controlled tempo that works best for you.

• Your primary focus and concentration should be on using your mind-muscle connection to visualize yourself rocking back to contract your lower ab muscles. You may count the number of seconds to control your rep speed as long as this doesn't interfere with your concentration on your technique.

Beginner:

• Use a downward cable path.

Intermediate:

• Use a cable path close to horizontal.

Advanced:

• Use an upward cable path.

Finish Position

• Pelvis completely rolled back in full posterior tilt

• Tailbone lifted entirely off the bench

• Hips as close to your lower ribs as possible

• Lower abs fully contracted

Performing The Eccentric Portion Of The Movement

• The eccentric portion for this exercise is more difficult than the eccentric portion for most exercises.

• Initiate the movement by slowly unrolling yourself. Do not let your hips and pelvis drop.

• Maintain constant control of your tailbone area throughout the entire eccentric movement as you place your tailbone gently on the bench and feel the tension in your lower ab muscles. Do not relax and let the resistance do the work during the eccentric portion of the movement, as this reduces the work on your lower ab muscles and decreases the effectiveness of the exercise.

Getting Out Of Position And Returning The Attachments

• Remove the ab straps by sliding them down your legs and place them on the ground.

SAFETY AND INJURY PREVENTION

• DO NOT CURL YOUR TRUNK BACK TOO FAR OR YOU MAY FLIP OVER AND INJURE YOURSELF!

• Do not use too much resistance, as this can result in a hernia.

• Do not begin to straighten your legs in an attempt to gain more range of motion. This targets the hip flexors and increases your lever arm, which increases your risk of a hernia.

• Do not attempt to fully straighten your legs, as this will strain your lower back.

• Do not use momentum at the bottom of the movement as this could result in a hernia.

• Maintain good form, and do not use an excessive amount of resistance that may cause you to neglect proper posture and control.

• To avoid muscle tightening and cramping, do not squeeze your muscles too tightly in the fully contracted position, especially with exercises for the ab muscles which are prone to cramping.

• Stop immediately if you feel any significant pain beyond normal muscle burn, fatigue, and soreness, such as a sharp pain, joint pain, and pain that increases with movement and/or limits movement.

EXERCISE SETUP LIMITATIONS

Beginner:

• If you feel uneasy about the position of your body on a decline bench, you can set the seat pad at an angle to give you extra support.

Intermediate:

• You may have some difficutly placing your feet on top of the seat pad if you have to move the resistance to do so.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Do not initiate the movement by doing a knee tuck. Your knees remain in a fixed position throughout the movement and are taken for a ride as you roll your hips and rotate your pelvis backward.

• Do not let your hips and pelvis drop during the eccentric phase. Slowly unroll yourself in a smooth, controlled motion.

• Do not use momentum in an attempt to swing your legs to move the resistance, as this will reduce the work on the target muscle and shift the work to your joints and other body parts and may result in injury. Control the resistance at a steady pace that is comfortable for you.

TIPS

• The Better-Fly and thigh strap attachments provide a more secure fit than ab straps, which may slide down your legs slightly as you perform the movement.

• Raise the cable setting to reduce the resistance.

• Use your mind-muscle connection to visualize yourself curling into a ball to contract your lower ab muscles. Do not visualize yourself simply rocking back and forth.

Beginner:

• If you have balance issues or are unable to stablize yourself by holding the sides of the bench pad, switch to a flat bench and raise the cable setting.

Intermediate and advanced:

• For the most range of motion and best leverage, hold the top edge of the bench pad. Do not hold the sides of the bench.

SET EXTENDERS AND EXERCISE PROGRESSIONS

• Once you reach the point of muscular failure, you can extend the set further to increase the intensity by pausing and resting long enough to perform at least 1 more rep.

Progress by:

• adding more resistance while maintaining good form.

• performing lower ab exercises while hanging from a bar.

BENEFITS OF THIS EXERCISE

• This exercise is more effective for progressively overloading the lower abs than other lower ab exercises.

• Your body is in a more comfortable position than performing a similar movement while hanging from a bar.

• It is easier to maintain good form lying on your back than it is while hanging from a bar.

• This lower abs crunch concept machine positions the attachments above the knees to create a shorter lever arm as compared to positioning the attachments at the ankle. This shorter lever arm significantly increases the amount of resistance you can use.

• This lower abs crunch concept machine can be set up for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users.