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Standing Resistance Band Crunches
The standing resistance band crunch exercise is a great way to develop and strengthen your abdominal muscles. I personally love doing cable crunches at the gym so this exercise emulates that movement from the comfort of my home. The exercise is not an overly complex movement but it may take a bit of getting used to mainly, balance and abdominal contraction. It’s important to make sure you keep constant tension on your core in order to get the most out of this exercise.
I also don't use the handles for the standing resistance band crunch exercise. It feels more comfortable to grab the resistance band and turn my palms towards each other without using the handles.
I use the GoFit resistance band system. I highly recommend these resistance tubes since they are super versatile which will allow you to perform a wide range of exercises and can fit in most doorways.
Ready position
Start position
Contracted position
Position for the resistance band crunch exercise
Place the resistance band anchor near the top of the doorway (just above the top door hinge). Approach the resistance bands and grab them with both hands. Turn away from the door and take a few steps forward until you feel some tension in the resistance bands. Bend your arms so that your hands are just behind your ears and arms bent at 90 degrees. Bend slightly at the waist until you feel some muscle tension and contraction in your abdominal muscles.
How to perform the resistance band crunch exercise
Slowly bend at the waist and “crunch” your head towards your knees. Keep your knees slightly bent and bend only at the waist using your abdominal muscles to “crunch” towards your knees. Stop once you feel a full contraction in your abdominal muscles. Don’t actually touch your knees with your elbows. Once you feel a contraction, stop and pause for a moment and return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.
Once you’ve completed the exercise, slowly lift your arms upwards and turn your body towards the door and walk the resistance bands back. Do NOT let go of the resistance bands in the contracted position.
Breathing
Breathe in
as you crunch downward and breathe out as you return back to the start position.
Important points
· Be mindful of your back. Keep constant tension on your abdominal muscles and make sure that muscle group does the work and not your back.
· Slightly round your back as your abdominal muscle crunch.
· If you feel any discomfort in your back, stop the exercise.
· Slightly bend at your knees.
Video for the standing resistance band crunch exercise
Over his 30 plus years of experience, Blake Bissaillion has worked with nationally ranked body builders, power lifters and fitness professionals. In this time he has picked up volumes of applied knowledge that he openly shares with his clients. Mr. Bissaillion’s objective is to help as many beginners to weight training and fitness to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals while getting into their best possible shape. Mr. Bissaillion owns and operates Belly Be Gone, a fitness company that offers fitness and nutritional guidance and products.