Description: Lie
supine with thighs held up perpendicular to the floor, knees flexed
to 90 degrees, and lower legs held parallel to the floor. Engage
the transversus abdominis with an abdominal
compression,
and perform a curl by flexing the lumbar spine and lifting the tailbone
off the floor. Lift the legs until the knees are over the chest
(30-40
degrees of lumbar flexion). Slowly return to starting position. Maintain
90 degree flexion at both the hips and knees throughout the movement
and do not hold your breath.
Most people will need to hold onto an anchor with their hands to
prevent their upper bodies from moving during the exercise.
Analysis: The reverse curl up is an effective
exercise for recruiting and strengthening the rectus abdominis
(RA)
muscle. In order to effectively engage the RA muscle, primary movement
should be flexion at the lumbar spine.
Variations: You can increase the difficulty of
the exercise by extending your knees outward, using ankle weights,
by holding a medicine ball between the knees or by performing
the
Reverse Curl on an
Incline Board (see video)
Common Errors:
Extending your knees while flexing the lumbar spine. Keep the
knees flexed at 90 degrees throughout the movement.
Placing undue strain on low back structures by flexing beyond
30-40 degrees.
Engaging the hip flexor muscles by over flexing the lumbar
spine.
Over flexion of the cervical spine placing stress on the
neck.
Not engaging the transversus abdominis muscles leading to
a less efficient contraction for the RA.
Lifting the entire back off the floor. Only the lower back (tailbone) should leave
the floor.