4 Crunches with Resistance Bands to Challenge Your Abs

When do you need to do crunches with resistance bands? When you feel the regular crunches are two easy and you don’t experience any development from them. That’s the point when you need to make changes in your ab workout.

By adding new ab exercises, the abdominal muscles need to adapt to the more challenging moves. As a result, the fibers grow in size and power. That’s the idea of progressive overload. ????

By using a band, the abs have to work harder to perform the crunches. That leads to the benefits mentioned before. Since we can use various strength loops, these moves are beneficial for any fitness level.

Here I’m going to show you four crunches that you can do with a rubber loop.

Kneeling ab crunches with resistance bands

Resistance band kneeling crunches is an excellent substitution for the well-known gym exercise, the cable crunches. It works the rectus abdominus that run in the middle vertically on the abdomen (giving the six-pack look.) 

Tutorial:

• Fix the band at a higher setup anchor to get enough resistance, for example, at a door anchor or any hanger.
• Grab the handles and kneel about 2-3 feet from the hanging point.
• Your hands are on the sides of your head. Your knees point towards your knees. Sit on your heels.
• By exhaling, pull your upper body towards your knees until your abs are squeezed.
• Pause for a moment.
• Slowly with control, raise your upper body to the starting position.

Tip: For maximum abdominal muscle contraction, you can arch your back a bit at the bottom.

What are the best ab machines for home? ????

Mini band bicycle crunch

Did you know that bicycle crunch is among the most effective exercises to target the entire core? That means it strengthens not just the abs, but also the obliques, hip, hams, and lower back. By adding additional resistance, we can boost the power of the core muscles.

Banded bicycle crunch tutorial:

• Lay down, bend your knees, and lift them up. The thighs are vertical to the floor. the hands are behind your head.
• Crunch up and turn your left elbow towards your right knee while straightening your left leg.
• Slowly get back to the starting position buy don’t lie on the floor.
• Crunch up again and now turn your right elbow toward your left knee, and straighten your right leg.
• Try to make the movement as continuous as possible.

Standing Resistance Band Crunch

This ab exercise is similar to the kneeling version, but since we are at a standing position the range of motion is longer, That’s beneficial for muscle strength.

Standing crunches with resistance bands tutorial:

• Fix the bands at a high point and face away 2-3 feet from the hanging spot.
• Pull the handles next to your head and slightly bend your knees.
• Pull your upper body towards the floor until your elbows touch your knees.
• Slowly let yourself back to starting position.
• Repeat.

Tip: By twisting your torso to the sites so that your left elbow touches your right knees, and vice versa, you can target the obliques much better.

Do crunches burn belly fat?

Reverse Crunch

The traditional crunch targets the upper abs. If we want to target the lower abs we need to do exercises that require leg lifting. The resistance band reverse crunch is a perfect example of that.

How to do it:

• Sit on the floor. With an aligned back lean backward and stabilize yourself with your hands on the floor. The band is fixed on your ankles.
• Pull your knees towards your chest.
• When you feel your abs are squeezed, pause for a moment.
• Slowly let your legs back to the starting point, but control the movement.
• Repeat.

Tip: A more challenging version is the V ab crunch. Instead of bending your knees during pulling, lift your straight legs without bending. Left your legs minimum they are vertical to the floor but try to pull as far as you can.

Mountain Climbers

The mountain climbers with resistance band work not only the entire core but also increase heart rate. Hence, perfect for conditioning and may help with burning some belly fat. ????

How to do it?

• Loop the band around your ankles and get into a plank position.
• Pull one of the knees towards your chest.
• With control let your leg back to the start.
• Do the same on the other side.

To get the cardio effect from this exercise, make the movements dynamically and fast as if you were jumping.

Now what?

You have just learned a few resistance band exercises for abs, so let’s make a workout. It’s very simple. Do each exercise one after another with 15-20 repetitions and 30-60 seconds rest between. Do 2-3 rounds you strengthen your entire abdomen.

Do you know other resistance band crunches? Share with us below within the comment section.