Frog Crunches
Crunches are one of the most popular forms of abdominal exercise.
They don’t require a gym membership or even any special equipment, yet they can really get the job done.
They can help improve your balance and stability, pinpoint specific muscles in your abdominal region, help with your posture, and so much more!
There are so many variations of crunches to focus on and affect various parts of your core, and today we’re going to be looking specifically at frog crunches.
Despite its silly name, frog crunches can really pack a punch! Let’s look at how to do them!
How To Do Frog Crunches
- Lying on your back, bring your arms to the side touching your head and the soles of your feet touching. You might have to keep your knees slightly lifted off the ground, pointing in opposite directions.
- Your legs and feet should make a diamond shape. You can keep your feet on the ground or another method is to bring them slightly off the ground .
- While lifting your upper body and head, crunch your upper and lower body together. Be sure not to lift your head with your hands.
- Lower back, but not completely to the floor, and repeat the movement.
Benefits of Frog Crunches
Just like with other forms of crunches, they are great for strengthening your core and improving your balance and stability, which will enable you to do more athletically.
With frog crunches, specifically, they isolate certain muscle groups while also achieving the above mentioned benefits.
Muscles Used in Frog Crunches
With this exercise, you are targeting your inner abdominal muscles while you are being static and hovering above the ground.
You are also working your outer abdominal muscles with the crunching motion! Talk about a win-win!
Variations
There are several variations that you can incorporate to modify and make these crunches meet you where you’re at.
If the workout is too intense, you could keep your feet on the ground.
Continue to keep the soles of your feet together (with your knees facing opposite directions), but by keeping your feet on the ground, it will take some heat off your abdominals and hip flexor muscles.
Progressions
To make frog crunches more intense, you can do two things….
Increase Your Speed
Once you get the hang of the proper form, you can progress this exercise by increasing your speed.
This will get your heart rate pumping and increase your burn. Just be sure you are maintaining your form or you will not see the desired results!
Decrease Your Speed
It may be strange that the ways to progress frog crunches are total opposites, but it’s true!
Both increasing and decreasing your speed can affect you in different ways.
It all depends on what you want to get out of it.
While increasing your speed will make this exercise more cardio-focused, decreasing this exercise will incorporate more isometric holds which will cause your inner core to burn more!
Conclusion
Frog crunches are a great exercise to focus on strengthening the core. Frog crunches are just one variation of many different types of crunches.
They resemble their name as your feet are brought together and look like frogs legs.
Crunches are known for strengthening your core as well as improving your balance and stability.
Frog crunches target both the inner abdominal as well as the outer abdominal muscles.
Frog crunch variations can include keeping your feet together on the floor or by slightly raising them.
Another variation might be reaching your hands towards your feet instead of keeping them by your ears or head.
