Men’s Journal – September 2019

You can probably power through tons of conventional crunches

in a single sitting. Amp up the move with simple equipment,

and each set will be a real accomplishment. by LAURA WILLIAMS

Reverse Banded Crunch

RUNCHES LACK account-

abilit y. Form may be top-

notch for the f irst few reps,

but it often falters as you

go. Plus, it’s the same move,

over and over. (Yawn.) This helps explain

why building a strong core can be diff icult.

The reverse banded crunch is different.

Adding resistance forces you to work for

every rep, and changing up the movement

pattern emphasizes different muscles.

“In traditional crunches, the top of the

abdominals leads, so the most tension is

created there,” says Brandon Mentore, a

Philadelphia-based strength and con-

ditioning coach. “The reverse crunch

approaches the muscles from the other

direction, so tension is greatest at the

bottom.”

To set up, attach a light resistance

band to a rig or pole at shin height. Sit

on the f loor facing the attachment point,

knees bent, the free end of the band across

thighs. Scooch back until the band is

taut, then lie back and grasp a heavy

kettlebell behind head to anchor the upper

body. Draw belly in, lift lower back off

the f loor, and roll hips and knees toward

shoulders, then reverse for one rep. Do

two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps. When

this gets easy, don’t get complacent. Grab

a heavier band. After all, you’re account-

able only to yourself. Q

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photograph by JUSTIN STEELE MEN’S JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2019 087

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