Get Your 6 Week Arm Shaping Program!
Say bye bye to your batwings
Click here to find out more
The Dumbbell Knee Raise Exercise for The Abs
The dumbbell knee raise exercise for the abs is a challenging ab movement that will really help to strengthen and developing the upper, mid and lower portions of your abdominal muscles. It is an especially effective exercise for developing the lower part of the abdominals. What makes the dumbbell knee raise ab exercise so effective is it combines the crunch, ab stretch, and crunch into one super effective ab exercise.
This exercise can be performed anywhere with either a dumbbell or no weight. I do recommend that you lie down on a foam mat (or towel) to help lessen the friction of your lower back / tailbone area with the floor.
Dumbbell knee raise exercise top
Position
Lie down on the ground with your back flat against the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor. You can either use a dumbbell or no weight (up to you). If using a dumbbell, grab the weight and press it up until your arm is fully extended. Grab the dumbbell with both hands. Lift your legs until they are at a 90 degree angle and perpendicular with your extended arms.
Execution
Slowly extend your legs until they reach full extension (they should be at least two inches from the floor). At the same time, extend your arms back until they are about 3 to 4 inches off of the ground. Pause for a second and keeping constant contraction on your abdominal muscles, lift your arms and legs back to their starting position while crunching your arms towards your knees. Using your core, lift your shoulders off of the ground slightly and crunch towards your knees.
Breathing
· Breathe in as you extend your legs and arms and breathe out as you crunch back to the start position.
Important Notes
· Keep constant tension on your core at all times
· Your feet should be at least two inches off of the ground in the extended position
· Your arms should be at least 3 to 4 inches off of the ground in the extended position
· As you bring your arms and leg back to the start position you will lift your shoulders (using your core) to crunch to your knees
· Try not to arch extend your head too much forward (as this places a bit of stress on your neck).
Related Exercises:
Over his 30 plus years of experience, Blake Bissaillion has worked with nationally ranked body builders, power lifters and fitness professionals. In this time he has picked up volumes of applied knowledge that he openly shares with his clients. Mr. Bissaillion’s objective is to help as many beginners to weight training and fitness to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals while getting into their best possible shape. Mr. Bissaillion owns and operates Belly Be Gone, a fitness company that offers fitness and nutritional guidance and products.