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Brief information: Bicycle sound
Targets: anorectal, internal and external oblique lines, transverse sternocleidomastoid muscle
Equipment needed: None
Level: Beginner / Intermediate / Expert
Having a strong muscle and abs is essential to maintaining our overall health and fitness. Regardless of age, gender or fitness goals, our core muscles work to support the body during everyday life as well as during intense physical activity.
Developing strong and strong abs is not easy, it requires you to spend regular time exercising and working the muscles in our upper abdomen, lower abdomen and lower back. However, the results are well worth the effort. A powerful result is good posture, better stamina, less back pain and, for those who are truly dedicated to their career, an enviable six pack.
But, what exercises are best for developing a strong core? There’s a lot to choose from, and often, the best exercise for you is the one you enjoy the most and are willing to do regularly. However, according to the American Council on Exercise, when done correctly, crunches are the best exercise for strengthening the abdominals.
What is a bicycle smash and what are the benefits?
Bicycle crunches are a classic core-strengthening exercise. When done correctly, they are an ideal exercise that people of all fitness levels can use to improve abdominal and lower back strength.
Popular with fitness trainers, the bike crunch targets several muscles in the core of the body simultaneously, without the need for specialized equipment. Simple and highly effective, the simple bike crunch is a great exercise for building core strength. They can be taken anywhere and are customized to accommodate any fitness level.
Muscles that work when doing a bike crunch include:
- Oblique
- Upper abdomen
- Abdomen
Other muscles that benefit from this exercise are the hamstrings, quads, and hips.
Benefits of bike racing
Cycling has many benefits for one’s overall health and well-being. They are a strength-building exercise which means that they provide the same health benefits as other strength-building activities. Some of these benefits include:
- Improve core strength.
- Improve your posture
- Relieve back and neck pain
- Increase energy
- Improve heart health
- Reducing the risk of bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis
How to safely perform a bicycle punch
Doing the bike crunch properly is very important. It will help reduce your risk of injury and allow you to get the most out of this challenging exercise. Before adding these exercises to your fitness plan, read the following step-by-step instructions.
When you’re ready to try them, make sure your body is warmed up and ready for vigorous activity. To warm up, do 5-10 minutes of light aerobic exercise.
Step One – Lie flat on the floor
Start by lying down on a smooth surface. Use a yoga mat, towel, or blanket if you find the floor too uncomfortable. Next, bend your knees while leaving your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your lower back is pressed to the ground while your knees are bent and elevated.
Step Two – Put your hands behind your head
When you are lying with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, place your hands behind your head. Your hands are just there to support your head. DO NOT use your hands and arms to pull your neck and push yourself forward. If placing your hands behind your head is too uncomfortable, place them on either side of your body.
Step 3 – Squeeze abs
While exhaling, engage the core muscles and lift the upper chest toward the knees. As you do this, make sure your neck is relaxed and your lower back is still pressed to the ground.
Step 4 – Attach your feet
Squeeze your abs, lift your legs and lift your knees to a 90-degree angle. Your knees should be pointing towards your nose. Keep your feet flexible to help support your hamstrings while they work.
Step 5 – Cycle!
With your upper body and lower body, begin to move your legs in a forward motion similar to pedaling. To do this move, bring one knee up toward your shoulder while extending the other leg. Change legs. As you extend your legs, keep your feet off the floor. As you pedal, keep your upper body engaged and your shoulders off the floor.
Tip: The lower your leg is extended away from you, the harder the exercise will be.
Step Six – Add a Twist
To attract oblique lines, add a twist to your movement. To do this move, rotate your torso toward the bent knee as you attempt to bring the opposite elbow toward that knee. Then, as you extend the bent leg away and bring the alternate knee in, twist your core to touch the other knee with the opposite elbow.
Step Seven – Repeat
Aim to do 3 sets of 15 bike sit-ups and rest in between sets. If counting reps doesn’t work for you, try to do as many as you can in three intervals of 30 – 60 seconds each.
Common mistakes with bicycles
All forms of exercise come with some degree of risk. This is no different for abdominal exercises such as sit-ups.
As beneficial as a bicycle twist can be, they must be done correctly. If performed without proper form, these six pack bodybuilding exercises may not be as effective. In addition, muscle strain or injury can also occur when poor technique is not corrected.
When doing bike crunches, the 3 most common mistakes to avoid include:
Poor neck posture
With exercises that require the hands to be placed behind the head, the upper body is very susceptible to the impact of this activity. However, if your neck muscles are active, they can be easily pulled or stretched.
Also, if your neck and shoulders are lifting heavily, your core isn’t working as hard as it should. To develop a strong and toned core, you need those abs to do the work, not your upper body.
To avoid straining your neck, don’t raise your head more than you can comfortably do without straining your neck. This may mean you can’t reach your knees with your elbows at first, but that’s okay. Working your abs to their limit is more important in core exercises than venturing into pulled muscles.
Lift your back off the floor
When performing core exercises from a lying down position, keep your lower back on the floor. To do this, take a picture of bringing your navel to the floor below you and try to keep it there.
Every few breaths, check your spine and see if your back is still pressed down. If not, correct your posture and point your navel downward again.
Hip rotation and no rotation
Relying on the hips for momentum when switching sides takes away the integrity of the exercise. In order for the cycling exercise to be as effective as possible, the abdominal muscles need to be worked continuously. Keep your hips on the floor and use your torso muscles to rotate.
Variations for cycling exercise
Without variety, cycling can become dull and unappealing. However, these exercises are so effective, we have several variations that you can use to keep them in your core strengthening exercises. From beginners to seasoned athletes, there’s a bike crunch that’s perfect for everyone.
As with all exercise programs, check with your doctor or health professional before starting a new physical fitness regimen to make sure it’s right for your body and fitness goals. .
For the beginners
When starting out with bike crunches, the most important thing to do is maintain correct form. If your body is not in good shape, take the exercise down a notch. Ideas to reduce its intensity include:
- Do sit-ups instead of full swings toward alternating knees.
- Skip the “pedal” part of the exercise. Keep the knee elevated and bent and focus on doing only the oblique twist.
- Only move your legs. With your back flat on the floor, kick your feet up and let your upper body rest. Make sure to lower your legs as close to the floor as possible when doing this move.
Advanced
Ready to take basic cycling training to the next level? To see how to increase the intensity of your bike crunch routine, try these:
- Slow down. Slow down your movement to remove the help of momentum to switch from side to side. This will give your abs a boost and definitely help you feel the burn!
- Add resistance. Place a small resistance band around your foot and keep it there throughout the exercise.
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