The Frog Crunch
Lie on the floor or exercise mat. Draw your feet up towards your crotch, until you are able to place the soles of your feet flat together. Let your knees fall to the position that gravity causes them to assume...don't force the position. Your legs should form a diamond shape, with your knees pointing to the sides and near the floor if you're flexible.
Depending upon your abdominal strength and length of torso, place your hands in one of the following places:
Grip the sides of your waist, with the hands in a V shape, with the thumbs down and the elbows pointing out to the sides.
OR
Cross your hands and place your hand on the corresponding opposite shoulder.
OR
Lightly touch your neck, cheeks, ears or side of your head with your hands. Don't pull on your head!
Now, exhale firmly through pursed lips and flatten your lower back to the floor while curling the torso upwards. (Like the first 1/4 movement of a sit up.) Hold at the top position for a two count, if you wish. Slowly lower to the floor or mat, relax the abdomen completely and then repeat. Three sets of 8-12 QUALITY repetitions will get the job done.
The function of the rectus abdominus is to shorten the distance between the bottom of the ribcage and the pubis. This is a small range of movement that usually only sees your shoulders coming very slightly off the floor. (The rest of a sit up is performed by the hip flexors and the frontal quadriceps.)
Exhaling firmly through pursed lips aids the contraction of the abdominals.
The bent knee, heels together position prevents using momentum to complete the movement and it also minimizes the contribution of the hip flexors.
The Gironda Leg Raise with Wicked Modifications
First off, you need to accept some facts. The leg raise is not a "pure" abdominal movement, no matter how you look at it or perform it. It simply isn't possible to eliminate the use of the hip flexors or the frontal quads...although you can minimize their action by good positioning.
Lie on the floor, exercise mat, bench or abdominal bench. Place your hands in one of two positions - either at your sides by your hips, with palms flat on the floor,
OR
do what I prefer and place them flat on the floor underneath your hips or buttocks. (Although somewhat easier, it also makes keeping the back pressed to the floor easier and safer for your back.)
When doing the Gironda Leg Raise or ANY abdominal movement where you are supine...it is critical that you keep your lower back pressed firmly to the floor or as close to that position as you can manage. It achieves two things - it minimizes the contribution of the hip flexors and safely minimizes the leverage induced stress to your lower back. It is also critical that your forcibly exhale through pursed lips...for the reasons mentioned above in the
Frog Crunch exercise...it heightens the contraction of the rectus abdominus, compresses the diaphragm and shortens the distance between the ribcage and pubis...which is the natural function of the abs.
Gironda recommends pressing the head into the board or pressing down on the floor, or even resting the top of the head against a wall. I disagree with any of these positions and here's why...it simply introduces a stress to your neck and head that is unnecessary. The Wicked modification here is to place the chin as close to the chest as possible and to slightly crunch forward, forming a very shallow "V" shape. This cuts down the ROM a bit...but it makes keeping the back pressed to the floor easier, eliminates unnecessary strain on the neck and heightens the contraction. How can you lose?
When beginning the movement, point the toes firmly and maintain this pointed posture. It really doesn't matter if the legs are kept rigidly straight or you allow just a touch of flex at the knee...but do keep the toes pointed.
Inhale while lying straight out in the beginning position with the hands on the floor or underneath the hips. Now simultaneously exhale, raise the head and shoulders up very slightly, point the toes and raise the legs as high as possible by muscle action only...do this somewhat slowly to avoid using momentum. (MAKE SURE TO PRESS THE LOWER BACK TO THE FLOOR - or the hip flexors will usurp the action.) Raise as high as possible...this will vary depending upon your limb length, flexibility and strength. There is really no reason to go beyond a positon where the legs are perpendicular to the torso...but some may wish to extend beyond that angle. (Gironda advocated going as far as possible.) Some (like myself) may only be able to reach a 45 or 50 degree position. Hold for a two count if you wish and lower the legs to the floor. Completely relax the abdomen and then repeat. As in the
Frog Crunch...high reps are unnecessary, 3-4 x 12 will get the job done, if the reps are QUALITY reps.
Wicked
"I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in."
"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6 |
