The ninth in a series by Scot Willingham.

@##=#<1,R>@##=#A quick word about Abdominals

Soapbox lecture:
Cyclists need strong abs to counter the overworking of the back and butt and to transfer power from the upper body into the lower body. Strong abs can also reduce back fatigue by doing their job appropriately and leaving the back muscles to do the cycling work.Unfortunately, many cyclists neglect working the abs both in their off season routines and during racing.

Most crunches are done in a non-cycling position. This harks back to the Specificity Lecture on page 2. The traditional crunch doesn’t teach the exerciser how to use and manipulate his abs in the position that a cyclist spends up to 8 hours. Therefore, I suggest these:

8 Table top Crunch on Ball

Muscles worked
Primary: Abdominals (all of them)
Secondary: Erector spinae
Equipment: Swiss ball

Get your Swiss ball. Lay on the ball so that your upper back is supported by the ball. Your legs should be bent with your feet flat on the floor fairly close to the ball. Knees should be bent a little deeper than 90 degrees. Engage your abs so that your torso is flat (or parallel) to the ground with your arms out to either side in case you feel unstable. Maintaining this position, straighten your legs without moving your feet.

Safety tip: *IF YOU FEEL ANY PAIN IN YOUR LOWER BACK, BEND YOUR KNEES UNTIL YOU DON’T FEEL IT AND DO THE EXERCISE FROM THAT POSITION*

You should be rolling the ball away from your feet. Your torso and head will feel as if they are extending out over the ball. You may feel as if you are about to fall off the ball. However, do not extend your legs to the point where you do fall off. (Seems obvious, but…)

At the furthest point in which you feel you can maintain that torso position and the ball balance, stay there, reaching for your knees with your hands and start crunches: moving up slightly with the upper torso and then back to the flat position. Repeat until fatigue.

To get out of this position simply bend your knees until your upper back is on the ball. Relax over the ball and stretch out the front of your body.

Stud muffin version: Put the hands behind your head.

Xena, Warrior princess version: Extend your hands out above your head.

Incredibly Advanced version: Put weight in your extended hands.