It's your FAVOURITE core exercise: THE BICYCLE KICK! Scroll down to learn the PROPER BICYCLE KICK FORM and to learn ALL THE MUSCLES in this exercise!
Bring dem elbows to dem kneessssss
1. Start by lying down on your back.
2. Place your hands behind your head for support, just above your neck. This should slightly cause your back to lift up.
3. Bend your knees and lift your feet from the ground slightly.
4. Twist your body and bring one elbow towards the opposite knee - you should feel the crunch in your abs here!
5. Your opposite knee should bend more as your opposite elbow approaches it. They should NOT touch!
6. Your other leg should straighten and slighly elevate. The toes should point as well.
7. Your head should stay still and not rotate the whole time. Use your hands (behind your head) to help keep your head in place.
8. Switch the next side by twisting your body and making the other elbow approach the other knee now.
Tips
*DO NOT let your elbows hit your knees! It's okay if they touch a bit, but they should only COME CLOSER to each other.
*Fun fact! You can also perform this exercise faster for a challenge and turn it into cardio!
*You can also perform this exercise without your hands behind your head, although you may lack balance and coordination.
*You should be feeling this exercise in your chest mostly.
The Bicycle Kick exercise really only targets the chest abdominal muscles. Other muscles in your legs (hamstrings/quadriceps and more) also contract, but we won't focus on those. The purpose of this exercise is to work the chest!
In your chest, your "Six Pack" muscle called RECTUS ABDOMINIS, right in the centre of this chest, contracts every time you bring one elbow to the opposite knee - that is the "crunch" feeling!
Because this exercise involves "twisting" your body to the left and right, both of your "side" abdominals are also effectively targeted! Your "side" abs, which sit on either sides of your RECTUS ABDOMINIS, are called your INTERNAL and EXTERNAL OBLIQUES (or just "Obliques"). Your INTERNAL OBLIQUES work on the "same side" that you twist your body, while your EXTERNAL OBLIQUES work on the "opposite side" that you twist your body. For instance, when you "twist" your body to the LEFT, your LEFT Internal Oblique contracts, while your RIGHT External Oblique contracts.
Stay tuned for variations of the classic Bicycle Kick exercise! If you still need any help in doing this exercise or would like to learn more about it, contact DANCE CUBE on the Join the Cube page!