The inclined bench press is an exercise that allows you to build up your abdominal muscles and firm up your waist. It is often said that it solicits the lower abdominal muscles (as opposed to crunches which work the upper abs), in reality it works the rectus abdominis as a whole, the famous "6pack" or "chocolate bar".
The abs are actually composed of the rectus abdominis, the obliques and the transversus abdominis and most of the leg raising exercises work the rectus abdominis mainly and these pelvic raising exercises would work the lower abdominis.
How do I do this exercise?
Lie down on an inclined (or declined) bench, and firmly grasp the handle which should logically be located at the top of the bench then lift the glutes in a rolling movement of the pelvis while keeping the legs bent, the knees in direction of the rib cage. The raising of the pelvis must be done only by the contraction of the abdominal muscles and not by the force of the arms nor by a dash of the legs. Then lower your pelvis by touching the bench with your buttocks and then go back up and so on until the end of your series.
ATTENTON: Slow down the descent as much as possible, making sure not to arch your lower back as your legs descend, your feet should never touch the ground.
Tips
- Breathe in when raising your pelvis and breathe out when lowering it.
- Do not force your arms to help you go up, it is the abdominals that must work first.
- Do not a-cut or swing with your legs to cheat in order to focus as much as possible on working the abs.
- Lower your legs very slowly so as not to dig into your lumbar region and hurt your back.
Variants
- You can do this leg raise exercise on the floor on a mat while holding onto a bench or with your hands on the floor on either side of your pelvis.
- You can perform the pelvic lift exercise with your legs straight or with your legs bent, trying to bring your knees towards your chest or upwards.
Find this exercise in the following programs:
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