Sit-ups and crunches are usually the topic under discussion when it comes to the ab strengthening of the core. But, ab exercises made while standing are rapidly increasing in popularity due to their whole-body activation and functional benefits. I decided to follow their advice, so I replaced my ab routine with standing oblique crunches for a week. Here is what happened and what I discovered.
The Instructed Way to Perform a Standing Oblique Crunch Exercise
Ok! Want to ignite your core with such an “amazing” exercise? All you need is to do this:
- Begin in a Tall Stance: Start by standing with your feet slightly apart, wider than your hips. The body should have an upright posture with the abdomen being contracted by the button navel-pulling method.
- Hand Placement: Have your hands facing shoulders rotating in such a way that the elbows are pointing out.
- Crunch with Control: Now, lift up your left knee towards your left elbow, keeping your waist bent. Your elbow should come down simultaneously so that it might come into contact with your knee.
- Return to the Starting Position: Slowly bring your foot down and straighten your waist. After that, repeat the process on the other side.
- Focus on Form: Don’t be too hasty and don’t use your body’s momentum to perform this set of exercises. In fact, you should be aware that besides your abs, you also activate your obliques with each detected crunch.
Bonus: If you want more challenge feature resistance bands or dumbbells.
My Experience with Standing Ab Crunch Exercises Throughout a Week
Day 1-2: The First Steps I Took on the Journey to Succeed with Standing Ab Crunches
The initial days had one major theme, which was to find my stride. Structuring was the area I concentrated on, and I enfolded into slow and coordinated movements. My obliques felt the tension while I was holding at the top of the crunch. Even though it seemed enjoyable at the beginning, I suddenly noticed that such exercises strengthen the ab section but also activate other of my body parts such as legs and glutes.
Day 3-4: Upping the Challenge
One more way to make workouts harder by making variations was that I decided to do some changes:
- Twist Variation: By moving left to right and stroking your right elbow to your left knee with then the left elbow to the knee on the right, you bring out this awesome Cross body maneuver that starts the much-needed activation of the deep core musculature and at the same time is a mechanism for improving the balance and coordination that you lack.
- Resistance Bands: I put on a loop band around my ankles which increased the tension a little bit. Notice that as you raise your knee, it is only natural that the lower body part will undergo stronger muscular contractions which will raise the total trial of difficulty you face.
Day 5-7: Adding Weights and Noticing Results
Firstly, I gripped 5-10 lb. dumbbells in each of my hands and held my forearms at right angles. This raised the amount of pain in my shoulders and arms without pulling off the engagement of my central part. By the day, seven I recognized the following:
- Building of stronger the obliques: A change I noticed in myself was my sides which now appeared stronger.
- Improved balance: There was a new and good feeling of mobility in me, particularly with one leg as my balance and agility were much improved.
- Explosion of new core stability knowledge: I was in better control when I bent or reached and the control over my body was more strengthened than ever just simply because of my subconscious feeling of safety that came with my new core strength.
Key Takeaways from My Experiment
- Whole-body movement: Rather than the setup of core exercises with crunches, abdominal exercises while standing utilize a group of different muscles such as the quadriceps, and the lower back muscles which give the exercises a greater power of success in making them more beneficial and efficient.
- Maintain better balance and stability: A standing position demands a player to fix his or her body which in turn leads to the control and strengthening of little-known parts of the body.
- More easily accessible and with more options: Working out for the abs is a lot easier on the back and hips hence is very suitable for people affected by mobility or space issues.
- No Quick Fix for Abs: While I don’t go from beer belly to six-pack in a day, I noticed a big increase in my core strength and stability for sure.
Should You Try Standing Ab Exercises?
Yes, absolutely. Whether you want to break up your core routine, shield your lower back, or simply work more muscles, the upright position works wonders. To make the challenge more thrilling, accompany it with resistance bands or dumbbells, and stay consistent to see progress in reality.
If you’re geared up to boost your core workouts, leave the yoga mat and include this standing ab exercise with the message to your obliques about your love.
