I don’t particularly enjoy doing abs exercises, but I absolutely do value the importance of having a strong core, both to support my main sport of running and just to make everyday movements easier.
That means I slip a couple of core moves into almost every workout I do. One of those is always the bicycle crunch, which I find a very quick and effective way to engage and strengthen my whole core.
The other move I slip into every workout has changed over time — I’ve done leg raises, dying turtles, and sit-ups — but right now my favourite is the rowing crunch.
This move mimics the motion of rowing as you bring your knees up to meet your chest, and gets the abs burning in no time at all in my experience.
It’s similar to a V-sit-up with bent knees, and sometimes also gets called the rower, boat crunch, or rowboat crunch. Whatever you call it, it's a move worth knowing about.
How to do the rowing crunch
You don’t need any equipment to do the rowing crunch, though using one of the best yoga mats will make it more comfortable on hard floors.
- Sit on the floor and lean back to a 45-degree angle. Bend your knees and lift your feet slightly off the floor. This is your starting position.
- Simultaneously lean back until your back is hovering just above the floor and extend your legs out away from you, while ‘rowing’ with your arms so your hands finish next to your chest.
- Use your core muscles to pull your knees back towards your chest as you raise your torso up to meet your knees.
You can make the move a little harder by pausing for a beat at the bottom of the exercise, in a hollow-bold hold position, before coming back up. I tend to do a set of 10 rowers straight after doing a set of 20 bicycle crunches as part of a circuit I do three times overall.
Benefits of the rowing crunch
The rowing crunch blasts both the upper and lower abs as you raise your torso and lift your knees toward your chest at the same time, while your obliques help keep you balanced throughout the move.
Throughout the exercise, you have to keep your body stable, which engages the deeper core muscles and keeps them engaged the whole time, since you don’t fully release the tension in your midsection at any point during the move.
They’re challenging for people of all fitness levels, but also approachable because you don’t need any equipment. If you’re struggling to get through a full set of the move, you can do sit-ups and knee tucks to strengthen your core and build up to the rowing crunch.
I find that doing the arms movements to mimic rowing, while not essential, does force me to stay in control through the exercise.
I find that doing the arm movements to mimic rowing, while not essential, does force me to stay in control through the exercise and move in a smooth manner that keeps the abs engaged more effectively than jerking up and down.
There are dozens of great crunch variations that do a similar job to the rowing crunch, and if you’re getting comfortable with the move, you could try V-ups as a progression, but I’ve found them to be the ideal addition to my own workout routine alongside the bicycle crunch.
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