Starfish Crunch Exercise

Introduction

Starfish crunches are a type of crunch exercise in which you lie on your back with your arms and legs straight and pointing apart like a starfish.

Compared to regular crunches, starfish crunches improve your obliques and lower abdominal muscles.

The main purpose of starfish crunches is to build up your core muscles. Depending on your own situation, needs, and training objectives, you may want to include starfish crunches or other alternatives into your daily routine.

To complete the exercise, raise one arm and one leg, then use your core muscles to bring them together. Your abdominal muscles are the main focus of these kinds of exercises. We’ll look at how starfish crunches can strengthen your core in this article.

Use to:

1. Strengthens the obliques (side abs) and rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles).
2. Improves posture and core stability

Muscles you target with the starfish crunch:

1. Traverse abdominis: This encircles your trunk’s front and side.
2. Internal and external obliques:
   They enable you to rotate your trunk and stretch diagonally from your ribs to your pelvis.
3. Rectus abdominis: You use this muscle to bend forward.
4. Multifidus: This muscle supports and stabilizes your spine.
5. Erector spinae:
   • This back muscle helps you stand upright by extending your trunk.

Starfish crunch video

Steps to perform the starfish crunch:

1. Lie flat on your back (Supine Position) on the soft mat.
   With your arms straight above your head (palms facing the ceiling) and your legs outstretched (heels touching the floor). Stretch your arms so your hands are wider than shoulder-width apart, and stretch your legs slightly so your feet are wider than shoulder-width apart.
   Your body should be roughly like a starfish. This is where you start.
2. Raise your right shoulder off the ground with a straight arm. As you do the same, raise your left heel from the floor toward the ceiling and move it diagonally across your body to meet your right hand by internally rotating at the left hip.
3. As much as your hamstring stretch helps keep your leg straight. Return to the beginning position as soon as your right hand and left foot make contact (around the ankle).
4. Repeat the last movement outline with the other arm and leg.
5. One repetition is the same as raising your right hand to meet your left leg and your left hand to meet your right leg. Repeat as many times as needed.

Variations of starfish crunches

A lower intensity

You might consider slightly lifting your body parts to get the complete version. If it is still too hard, you can begin by lying on your back and using your abdominal muscles to press your lower back into the floor.

You can begin with side planks or even knee side planks if your oblique muscles prevent you from moving forward. You can exercise similar muscles at a lower level of difficulty with each of these variations.

Higher intensity

Performing bodyweight starfish crunches can get too simple. If you want to continue seeing significant improvements in strength and muscular growth at this point, you might need to switch to different exercises or increase the difficulty of starfish crunches.

Compared to repeatedly performing the standard bodyweight variation, making starfish crunches harder during the right phases of your training journey can help accelerate your growth.

The main technique for doing this is using weighted starfish crunches.

To make starfish crunches more difficult, you essentially perform the same exercise with additional weights in your hands, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, weight plates, etc. Ankle weights are another option.

Key points:

1. Core Engagement:  focus on lifting using your core muscles rather than just momentum.
2. Maintain Control: Avoid  jerky motions and instead make deliberate, smooth movements
3. Neck Support: Avoid placing pressure on your neck by keeping your head in line with your spine.
4. Lower Back: To protect your lower back, keep it flattened against the floor.

Benefits of starfish crunches:

1. Stronger muscles: One kind of resistance training that might help you build stronger ab muscles is the starfish crunch.
2. Help with weight loss: Starfish crunches require more energy than your regular activities. Increased muscular mass also contributes to greater calorie burning. These two factors can help with weight loss.
3. Enhances mood: Exercises like starfish crunches increase the release of chemicals that make you feel good.
4. May reduce back pain: Core strengthening exercises like starfish crunches can reduce or prevent back pain.
5. Anywhere you can: Since starfish crunches are a bodyweight exercise, you don’t need any special equipment.
6. Improves sleep: The duration and quality of your sleep can be enhanced by exercises like starfish crunches, which also have numerous other advantages.
7. Slows down ageing: Certain ageing markers that are linked to detrimental health impacts can be slowed down by starfish crunches.

Alternatives to Starfish Crunch

Here are some alternative exercises that will specifically target your abdominal muscles and provide you with a wonderful ab workout if you’re not quite ready for starfish crunches or if you’re seeking other ways to develop your core, especially your lower abs:

• Reverse crunch
• Sit-ups
• Bicycle crunches
• Planks
• Hanging knee raises
• Hanging leg raises
• Flutter kicks