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#6PackAbs, #AbdominalExercises, #boxrox, #CoreWorkOut, #Devlopment, #Empowerment, #growth, #keepingitreal, #LeilavonSteinburgMorse, #leilaworldblog, #Mindfulness, #Motivation, #ReverseCrunch, #SixPackAbs, Fitness

I am really focusing on finishing my 52nd year aimed at my goals for my 53rd and my next 5 year plan. I had a 6pack stomach all the way til I was 32. Stress, lifestyle, and life in general started changing that. Broken ankles, GERD, allergies, fractured knee, acute anxiety, insomnia, night terrors, moving, starting a successful venture in the coffee business, and work, having all sidelined me the past 20 years. Well now, I will admit, I need to get back in the game, perform at my ‘A’ game commitment’, and ‘reclaim the best in me’. I have have a lot to give, and a lot to learn. I intend on making that happen!

I have no desire to have my 6-8% body fat body again. Been there, done that. At my age 52, and having a playful, semi active lifestyle, a person who loves to cook and entertain, and keeping my insanely healthy vitals (90/70 – 85/65 blood pressure, strong heart, low cholesterol, low blood sugar) is where I’m at. I am very blessed with my inherited, and maintained, health vitals. I’m also blessed with being able to build muscle rather quickly. So, in order to get back in the game, I need to pro actively create an exercise broadly diversified program to round out my repertoire. Mind, Body, and Soul.

I already eat extremely healthy in general, and even include all my fun foods (gotta have balance). I already take my necessary vitamins, minerals, and supplements, to ensure my body has what it needs to perform at my level and next. Of course these two things are constantly evolving based upon my body’s needs for performance. That just leaves three things I am actively focusing on.

I contacted my psychiatrist to get treatment for my Acute Anxiety, Insomnia, and, Night Terrors. Of which I was born with. These three conditions trigger another inherent condition of mine, extreme GERD. My particular GERD is not, food, alcohol, or beverage related, nor acquired. I was born with GERD. After years of medical testing, treatments, and surgeries, it was finally concluded that my GERD is directly related to my emotions. Thus stress, and my other conditions wreck havoc on my stomach, intestines, and esophagus. The pain and inconvenience wrecked havoc on me mentally. Basically, its a vicious mouse wheel of a cycle. Over the years I’ve been able to generally manage my GERD. But, it is time to treat the rest constantly, and in a healthy way.

So, that just left me with the Acute Anxiety, Insomnia, Night Terrors, and a new enemy of mine. Menopause, and its hormonal hell! Which magnifies my existing conditions, and brings to the table Hormonal Irregularities, Hot Flashes, Mood Swings, Seratonin Fluctuations, Body Changes of whole new levels, non existent sleep patterns (basically I sleep 3-4 hours on average, in a 24 hour time period, and usually not even consecutively), and did I mention the constant feeling of questioning yourself (and everyone else), and wondering if you are going crazy!!!! Thank goodness, the hormonal latter conditions are less frequent than all the other. So, there is some reprieve. To which I am now getting ready to meet with the Hormone doctor. Being proactive in treatment, even if I’m a little late to the game.

Since I’m now working on inside my head, and inside of my body, I figure, if I want to be my ‘A’ game self, might as well do the whole package. That means hitting the exercise regime.

As we age, we rapidly lose muscle mass, and certain bodily things deplete, and don’t re up like they use to (at let’s say at 20-30 years old) Serotonin, HGH, Collagen, Memory, Bone Density, and Dopamine are just some examples. However, weight lifting, regular exercise, and nutrient rich diet can not only slow this down, but are also known to repair, and reverse some damage caused by aging, lifestyle, and stress.

Stress is the biggest enemy of the body, genetics are almost tied, mindfulness, sleep (restful restorative), age, then, diet. I would say your body’s enemies lie in that order.

Plus, seeing after being away from being in front of the class (speaking, or instructing), audience (speaking, or instructing, or competing), or camera, seemingly constantly, I am ready to return to where I am most effective. My endeavors will include Blogging, Vlogging (video blogging), Podcasting, Streaming, Live Presentation Motivational Speaking, and Appearances (as needed). Well, all of that makes we want to be my ‘A Game’ self even more. For those areas are where I truly shine. I do this for myself, for my family and friends, for my readers, subscribers, and attendees. Those are the greatest motivators for me.

That brings me to the one of first of many posts I will be doing about health, motivation, goals, mindfulness, and such.

Below is a piece on an exercise that anyone can do, almost anywhere, to work those Core muscles (abdominal). My goal is a soft 6 pack. I have a ways to go. But, this is a great exercise. I use to do all style Crunches, Sit ups, Roman Chairs lifts, Incline Weight Lifts, and Squats for my insane tummy look. Yeah, I don’t have that kinda time any more. However, I can make time to do a few sets, a couple of times a day (start slow, and only do what you can), to achieve great results with this exercise. The Reverse Crunch (laying down).

I’m gonna buy a scale, and a workout journal, to keep you posted. As well as share recipes, and pictures and eventually videos of my endeavors. Hope you enjoy.

– Namaste

Leila

Start Doing the Reverse Crunch – An Effective Ab Exercise to Get A Six-Pack

Learn how to do it, muscles targeted and benefits of this exercise.

By Robert Born, August 2022; Published by www.boxrox.com

If you haven’t done reverse crunch, but want to work your way towards six-pack abs, perhaps that is the missing ingredient. Learn all you need to know about the reverse crunch below.

The reverse crunch is an effective exercise that targets your abs, but somehow most people fail to do them. Don’t be like most people.

Table of Contents

How To Do the Reverse Crunch

As with most ab exercises, you will only need to lie down on the floor, or floor mat, to be able to perform the reverse crunch.

Lie down on the floor mat facing up with knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your arms should be straight near the side of your body.
This is the initial position.
Brace your core and lift your feet off the ground by curling up your hips and moving your knees toward your chest.
Slightly continue lifting your legs until your lower back is off the mat, but your mid-back is still in contact with the floor.
Keep your head straight aligned with your spine at all times. Arms and hands should be parallel and next to your body.
Slowly lower your feet back to the initial position.
That is one rep.

You can make the exercise harder by keeping your feet off the ground at all times. This will keep your abs under tension for the entire duration of the exercise. If you keep your legs straight while descending, it also adds another layer of difficulty to this exercise and aiming to lift your legs up instead of bringing your knees toward your chest.

Muscles Targeted

This exercise targets only your abs.

Rectus abdominis

The rectus abdominis is also known as the six-pack muscle. The reverse crunch will target what is commonly referred to as the upper abs and lower abs.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake people tend to do with this exercise is to use momentum. As it is common with other ab exercises, you need to avoid using the momentum of your body to help you lift your legs. If you are unable to perform the exercise, do normal crunches as it is considered an easier variation of the reverse crunch.

A sign that your abs are not strong enough is if you are arching your back. This is common when you are lowering your legs to the initial position and it can leave you open to injuries.

If you choose to do the advanced version of the reverse crunch, without touching your feet on the floor and with straight-up legs, check out the video below by Jeff Cavaliere to see more mistakes you should be avoiding and how to fix them.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of this exercise is that it targets your rectus abdominis, your six-pack abs muscles as the primary function of this muscle is to flex your trunk and spine. However, only exercise will not give you six-pack abs, as more important than any workout is what you are eating.

Compared to some other ab exercises, such as the normal crunch, the reverse version takes away the strain off your neck. Some people use their hands to elevate their torso when doing normal crunches, which puts a lot of pressure on the neck. By performing lifting your legs toward your body, you are more likely to use your abs than any other muscle in your body to do the movement.

The same can be said about your back muscles. Bending your spine during traditional crunches can be detrimental according to this study and the reverse crunch can be adjusted to flex your spine less than the traditional crunch.

For its easy setup, this exercise can be performed nearly anywhere.

Cons of the Reverse Crunch

Now that you know the benefits, you should also keep in mind the negative side of this exercise.

Unfortunately, this is not the most complete ab exercise you could perform. The reverse crunch will barely target your obliques, the side of your abs, which is the muscle responsible for twisting your torso.

How Many Reps and Sets?

Reverse crunches should be added to your normal training routine. As you found out, it is not the answer to having six-pack abs, but it will help you get closer to your goals.

As part of your core training, you should aim to do 3 sets of 12-20 repetitions of the reverse crunch.

If it is too hard, lower to 2 sets and have a bigger rest period between the sets. If it is too easy, you can add a resistance band to make the exercise even more difficult.