Tuck Crunch

How to perform

1. 01To begin, lie down on the floor or an exercise mat with your back pressed against the floor. Your arms should be lying across your sides with the palms facing down.
2. 02Your legs should be crossed by wrapping one ankle around the other. Slowly elevate your legs up in the air until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor with a slight bend at the knees. Note: Your knees and toes should be parallel to the floor as opposed to the thighs.
3. 03Move your arms from the floor and cross them so they are resting on your chest. This is the starting position.
4. 04While keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, slowly lift your torso. Remember to exhale while perform this part of the exercise.
5. 05Slowly begin to lower your torso back down to the starting position while inhaling.
6. 06Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Form cues

• —Lead with the elbows and finish by squeezing the target muscle.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.