Pretty much every Pilates mat class I've ever taken has included the classic "rolling like a ball" exercise. Rolling back and forth looks easy enough, but it requires a whole lot of balance and abdominal strength to get the job done correctly. So when I tried an even-tougher version from Keoni Hudoba, creator of COREntine, let's just say my obliques were on fire.
In a past episode of Good Moves, Hudoba introduced the "C-Crunch Rock." Instead of just rolling back and forth, you pause every time you come up with your feet hovering above the ground. Then, keeping your balance and remaining as still as possible (which is harder than it looks, TBH), you twist side to side. After experiencing a next-level core burn, you get a little relief—and a nice back massage—as you roll back, only to pop back up and do it all over again.
Experts In This Article
Keoni Hudoba, NYC-based trainer and co-founder and creator of Cyc Fitness
Like rolling like a ball, the C-Crunch Rock requires full-body control. Without it, your "ball" certainly won't be rolling. Once you get the hang of it, it's an incredibly effective way to give your core an extra burn at the end of your workout. Here's how Hudoba says to go about it.
How to do a C-Crunch Rock with twist
Start on your back with your legs bent.
Crunch your upper body, bringing your elbows to your knees.
Rock up, finding your balance as you hold your elbows to your knees with your feet hovering a few inches off the ground.
Keeping your fingers together, complete four oblique twists (right, left, right, left) before returning to center.
Glue your elbows back to your knees and roll back. The instant your shoulders meet the mat, roll back up and repeat the four oblique twists. If you're having trouble balancing, you can lower your feet to the mat.
Repeat as many times as you'd like, then finish by holding at the top and doing a 20-second oblique twist burnout while keeping your form.
Next up, try this lower ab workout:
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