Bench Knee Crunch

Beginners and persons with lower back problems should avoid this exercise.

Sit on the edge of a bench or step-box, leaning back slightly, with both hands behind you, securing your upper-body position with your arms.

Aim to keep both feet off the floor throughout the exercise, with your legs bent at 90 degrees, keeping your knees and ankles pressed together.

Exhale and lift both legs up towards the left hand side of your chest, allowing your upper-body to crunch forward 2 - 4 inches.

Inhale and lower both legs back to the starting position with feet off the floor, whilst taking your upper-body back to its starting position.

You may want to work one side at a time, which is harder on the abdominal muscles, however will enable you to fix both hands in a comfortable position.

Avoid kicking the legs back out, or forcing the movement in the final phase, as this will cause stress on your lower back.

Intermediates aim to work for 2 sets of 10 - 12 reps each side, in a slow controlled motion.

Advanced work for 2 - 3 sets for 12 - 15+ reps each side, aiming to hold in the final phase for 1 - 2 seconds.

The exercise can be made harder by wearing ankle weights, or connecting a low pulley cable around your ankles, however both of these methods are only suitable for well conditioned athletes.