How to...Proper form for a few core excercises

Crunches
1. Lay down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat against the floor.

2. Have your feet positioned about as wide as your hips.

3. Your hands are to be placed behind your head with your thumbs tucked behind your ears.

4. Now hold your elbows out to the sides and b sure to keep your chin stationary as if looking straight ahead at the ceiling. *DO NOT TUCK YOUR CHIN IN!

5. Curl upward and forward bringing your head neck and shoulders off of the floor. *DO NOT PULL YOUR HEAD FORWARD WITH YOUR HANDS. IF YOUR CHIN IS TOUCHING YOUR CHEST YOU ARE NOT WORKING OUT YOUR ABDOMINAL

6. Pause. Then lift your head up enough so your middle and lower back stay on the floor. Squeeze your abdominal as you pause.

7. Slowly lower your head, neck and shoulder blades to the position you started in.

8. Knees are to be kept bent, feet flat on the floor in starting position and your back is to be kept straight.

Hip Raises
1. Lie flat on the floor with your legs elevated directly above your hips.

2. The bottom of your feet should be flat with your toes pointing behind you.
3. Place your hands under your bottom, or lower back, to keep your back flat on the floor.
4. Your head will remain on the floor during this exercise.
5. As you inhale, slowly lower your legs to the ground while keeping your legs straight.
6. Once the feet are almost touching the floor, exhale as you slowly raise the legs to starting position.
7. Perform this exercise slowly and keep your back and head on the floor. To Make this exercise a little more gangsta, use ankle weights to increase intensity.

Leg Scissors
1. Lay on your back with one leg just hovering over the floor and the other straight up at a 90 Degree angle.
2. Then switch legs like a pair of scissors.

Bicycles
1. Sit up on the floor with your knees bent.

2. Lift your legs up and move them in a circular motion as if you were pedaling on a bike.