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How to Do a Bosu Ab Crunch

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The Bosu ab crunch is a great exercise if you're interested in increasing muscle tone and strength in your "core" muscles. Start with the basic Bosu ab crunch, and increase the intensity as the move becomes more and more easy

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About the Bosu Ab Crunch

The Bosu ab crunch is a great exercise that strengthens the muscles in the abdominal region, lower back and obliques. While these muscles are sometimes missed when engaging in strength training exercises, they are important for a number of reasons. Strengthening the "core" muscles not only helps to stabilize the lower back, thereby preventing injury or strain, but can actually decrease the intensity of other exercises that target these muscles. In addition, increasing your muscle mass helps to increase your metabolic rate, thereby resulting in an increased caloric burn and weight loss.

Positioning Your Body for the Bosu Ab Crunch

Before performing the Bosu ab crunch, it is essential that you are properly positioned. Start by clearing an area, and placing the Bosu on the ground with the blue side facing upwards. Lay on the ground, with your buttocks, hips and lower back positioned firmly on the ground. Your knees should be bent, with your feet facing forward and flat on the ground. Slowly lower your upper body towards the ground. Lace your fingers behind your head or neck, keeping your spine in a straight line from your head to your tailbone.

Performing the Bosu Ab Crunch

Now that you're in the right position, you can begin performing the Bosu ab crunch. Start by taking a few deep breaths. As you exhale, slowly lift your upper body to an upright position, focusing on engaging the muscles in your core. Slowly lower yourself back down to the original position. Perform 10 repetitions of the Bosu ab crunch before taking a short break. Do another 2 sets of 10 repetitions of the Bosu ab crunch in order to achieve optimal results.

Increasing the Intensity of the Bosu Ab Crunch

Now that you have mastered the basics of the Bosu ab crunch, you can begin to increase the intensity of this great exercise. One easy way to do this is changing your arm position. Instead of holding your arms behind your head, try extending them in a straight line over your head. This makes the exercise more difficult because it increases the length of the lever, thereby forcing the muscles to work against a greater strain. Another easy way to increase the intensity of the Bosu ab crunch is to slow the exercise down. Count to five as you move your upper body from the horizontal to the upright position. This will force your muscles to work harder for a longer period of time, thereby increasing muscle strain.

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