Do Bicycle Crunches
The bicycle crunch is an excellent exercise for building abdominal strength and toning your thighs. It's an easy move to complete, and when you feel that burn you'll know you're doing it right! See Step 1 to learn how.
Steps
- Lie on the floor. Stretch your legs out straight and hold your arms outstretched at your sides. It's important to use the right form when you're doing the bicycle crunch - if you don't you won't be getting the maximum benefits from this exercise.
- Place your hands behind your head. You can interlock your fingers if you desire. If you prefer, you can keep your arms at your sides.
- Raise your legs. Raise them so that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground, and your calves are parallel to the ground. Keep your feet together. This is called tabletop position.
- Touch your right elbow to your left knee. Now lift your head up and touch your right elbow to the left knee while pulling your knee up towards your head. At the same time, straighten your right leg, keeping it several inches off of the floor - similar to the motion you'd make while pedaling a bicycle.
- As you lift your head, tense your abs. Use your abdominal muscles to crunch your body forward so that your elbow can reach your knee.
- At the same time, tense your leg muscles and be sure to keep them bent or straightened correctly. Don't rest your feet on the ground.
- Be sure to keep your elbows back, rather than bringing them forward toward your chest, which could strain your neck.
- To increase the difficulty, try keeping your shins parallel to the ground throughout the exercise.
- Now touch your left elbow to your right knee. At the same time, straighten your left leg, keeping it off of the floor. Don't forget to tighten those abs. You've now completed one bicycle crunch.
- Repeat. Perform bicycle crunches in sets of 10-20 repetitions. Instead of counting crunches, you can also time yourself for sets lasting between 20 and 60 seconds. Rest between sets.
Things You'll Need
- A yoga mat
