How Iridium Programs This

Iridium analyzes your 7-day workout history to ensure your hip flexors are sufficiently recovered to handle the demands of this movement alongside your lower abs. If your recent training has created high fatigue in the hip area, the logic substitutes a crunch variation to target the abdominals without being limited by hip flexor exhaustion.

Form Cues

Press your lower back firmly into the floor throughout the entire movement
Extend your leg fully until it hovers just above the ground
Move at a slow, deliberate tempo to maximize time under tension
Keep your non-working knee stacked directly over your hip at 90 degrees
Breathe out as you extend your leg away from your body

Don't

Don't let your lower back arch or peel off the mat as you extend your leg
Don't rush the movement or use momentum to cycle your legs
Don't let your heel touch the floor between reps; keep tension constant
Don't pull on your neck or lift your head excessively

Common Mistakes

Arching the lower back
Moving too fast
Incomplete leg extension
Holding breath
Tensing the neck

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets the lower rectus abdominis and the deep transverse abdominis, which work together to stabilize the pelvis against the weight of the moving legs. It also heavily involves the hip flexors (iliopsoas) to control the leg movement, while the obliques assist in stabilizing the torso against rotational forces.