The Bend Extend Ab Tuck is an effective abdominal exercise that targets the lower abs and reinforces core stability to help protect your lower back. This movement trains your body to remain stable while you simultaneously lift and lower your torso and draw your legs in and out. It’s a challenging exercise, but with practice your abdominal muscles will become stronger and appear more defined.
What sets the Bend Extend Ab Tuck apart is that it combines two common abdominal actions into one seamless motion. Many core exercises emphasize either upper-body lifts or leg lifts. This exercise asks both the upper and lower body to work together: you sit up while pulling your legs inward. That coordinated action delivers a focused workout for the lower abdominal area.
The lower abdominal muscles, especially the transverse abdominis, act like an internal belt around your hips and lower back. These muscles help stabilize your spine, support your posture, and contribute to everyday movements like sitting, standing, and walking. Strengthening them can improve how your midsection looks and feels and can reduce strain on your lower back.
Incorporate the Bend Extend Ab Tuck into your routine a few times per week to see progress. For more variety and structure, combine it with a dedicated core routine such as a 15-minute flat-ab session or a targeted lower-ab workout.
Bend Extend Ab Tuck Exercise Instructions
- Start seated on a mat with your hands placed behind you, fingers facing toward your backside. Lean back onto your hands and lift your feet off the mat while keeping your knees bent.
- Engage your core and extend your legs straight while lowering your torso slightly toward the mat. You should feel the work in your lower abdominals. From there, press through your hands to lift your torso back up and pull your knees toward your chest to return to the starting position.
Targets: core, lower back