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The Ab Reverse Curl is an abdominal exercise that strengthens the transverse abdominus, helping flatten your belly and strengthen your entire core. Often times, when we do ab exercises, we’re not really targeting that transverse abdominus which are considered your lower abs.
This move, working in “reverse” helps to target that area and tone up your low abs fast, helping you get rid of a poochy stomach while also increase core strength and stability.
How To Do Ab Reverse Curls:
Here’s how you do it!
- Lie on mat and extend your legs straight up towards the ceiling.
- As you exhale, tighten your low belly to push your feet straight into the air. Hips will lift slightly off the mat.
- Return you hips and lower back to the mat with control. Use your abdominals vs. momentum to create the movement and avoid rolling onto the neck.
What Muscles Do Ab Reverse Curls Work?
Ab reverse curls are a core body exercise that strengthen all of your core muscles especially your lower abs, also known as your transverse abdominus. Learning how to do ab reverse curls helps create stronger abs and a healthier low back. This move is not supposed to be big.
Especially if you are a beginner, be sure to close your eyes and focus on pulling your lower abs in more than you focus on how far your body curls off the floor. Another way to modify if it is too difficult is to keep your knees bent throughout the move.
Benefits of Ab Reverse Curls
There are many reasons you should incorporate ab reverse curls into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Stronger Abs
Ab reverse curls are an amazing ab exercise that truly challenges your entire abdominal wall but especially focuses on your low abs. The low abs, or “transverse abdominus”, is also known as your “powerhouse.” That is because though this muscle is relatively small, it is compact and very strong. It is the muscle that pulls your tummy in tight, keeps your abs flat, and protects your lower back.
Stronger Low Back
Your transverse abdominus plays another extremely important role. This muscle so intensely helps to strengthen those muscles that surround your mid-section that when it is strong it helps to prevent low back injury and gives you better posture.
Better Core Stability
Ab reverse curls force you to draw your transverse abdominus in to help provide stability in fitness and in real life situations. For instance, slipping and falling can be dangerous, but with a strong core you are more likely to walk away without injury. Same goes for your athletic pursuits. A strong core is going to make you a better athlete overall and help you to perform at your max.
How Many Calories Do Ab Reverse Curls Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most exercises will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working at high intensity. Ab reverse curls are an intense ab move that won’t burn as many calories as running or swimming, but will give you results you want in your core.
Other Exercises Similar to Ab Reverse Curls
If you like ab reverse curl and the results you get from them, here are a few more exercises you might want to try.
