Abs & core
Crunch Kicks
A seated ab move: lean back on your hands, kick your legs out long, then pull your knees back in toward your chest. It works your abs and hip flexors through a big range.
- Works
- Core, hip flexors
- Equipment
- A mat
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Sit on the floor and lean back a little, hands on the floor behind your hips, fingers pointing forward.
- 2Lift your feet off the floor and pull your knees in toward your chest.
- 3Kick your legs out long in front of you as you lean your upper body back a little.
- 4Pull your knees back in as you bring your chest toward them. That's 1 rep.
Cues
- Feet stay off the floor the whole set.
- Kick out at a height where your lower back stays flat.
- Crunch in with your chest, don't just move your legs.
Common mistakes
- Lower back arching as you kick out. Kick your legs out higher, toward the ceiling, and keep your belly tight.
- Slumping onto your hands. Sit tall through your chest and lean back from your hips.
- Swinging your legs. Control both directions. Slow down until you could stop at any point.
Easier
Tap your heels down between reps, or keep the kick short and high.
Harder
Lift your hands off the floor and balance, or slow down to 2 seconds out and 2 seconds in.
Try it: 3 rounds of 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off.
Are crunch kicks good for lower abs?
They work your abs as a whole, and pulling your knees in is where most people feel them, low in the stomach. Keep your lower back from arching and control each rep so your abs, not momentum, do the work.
