Q&A for How to Do Bicycle Crunches

You don't want to crank your neck in too much. Instead, look up a little bit more versus looking straight across. That’ll keep your neck in a better position.

You want to make sure that you've got your abs flexed the whole time. If you're doing that properly, you're going to have your lower back pressed into the floor or mat and there won't be any space between your lower back and the floor. That's the key hip position that engages your abs rather than just using your hip flexors.

Lie on your back, lift your legs up above your hips and move your legs in a pedaling motion like you are riding a bicycle.

An exercise bike will only help your abs if you make a conscious effort to keep your abdominal muscles engaged while you are riding the bike.

Yes, bicycle crunches work many groups of the abdominal muscles. Be sure to hold your core tight to engage the deeper transverse abdominal muscles.

To do a bridge, lie on your back, knees bent with feet flat on the floor and tucked up near your buttocks. Lift the hips off the floor. This completes a bridge.

Stabilize your neck muscles when doing this exercise; lift your neck off the ground, and keep it still while doing the exercise.

I doubt you can lose 5 inches in a week. Further, it would not be healthy. However, you can healthily lose 4 or 5 inches in a month.

It helps you build core strength and make your legs toned. Make sure you stretch before you do them, however.

Doing high intensity workouts for a shorter amount of time will help to build bulky muscles, which is what you would want if you want a six pack. Your workout would need to include several different kinds of exercises that target different areas of your abs. Bicycle crunches are very good at covering most of your abdominal muscles, but you might still want to consider other types of crunches and planks.

That means you're using your back muscles to do the crunches more than the abdominal; tighten your core and focus on using it.

You're probably not giving yourself enough rest. When your abdomen stops hurting, try again but do fewer repetitions. If this doesn't help, then reevaluate your technique.

There is no way to tell your body where to burn fat. The abdomen is usually the last fat reserve to disappear. Doing squats does not burn fat off your legs only. Cardio is the best way to burn fat. Work out regularly and eat and sleep well and after four to eight weeks you will start seeing results. To gain muscle mass you must do strength exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, etc.

If you can't breathe, stop the exercising. Slow down if you have to. Try to keep your breathing at a steady pace; as you do more workouts, your breathing will become easier and more natural.

You should do any regular stretches you do before any workout such as stretching legs amd arms.

Yes, as long as you make sure that you get the same range of motion and aren't just doing half a movement because of the longer reach.

Look into adding weight to your exercises and cutting more in your food intake.

I'd aim for 100 total bicycles and build from there. If you can't do 100, do as many as you can and split them into sets if you need to.

You may be doing them wrong or they may not be right for you. If an exercise causes pain, especially in your neck, you should stop doing it. Consult your doctor to see if this exercise is safe for you.

Yes and no. The truth is, you can't "spot train" belly fat to go away. You have to burn calories to shed excess belly fat. But, if you do them right, bicycle crunches can be one heck of a workout. You'll get a lot of good cardio work and you'll burn calories. If you follow a healthy diet and you exercise regularly, you can burn belly fat and reveal those underlying ab muscles, giving you that classic six-pack look. Bicycle crunches work your entire core, but they're especially good at targeting your oblique muscles, the ab muscles on the sides of your six-pack muscles. As you lose weight with a solid diet and exercise plan, doing bicycle crunches will make sure your abs look shredded and really pop once they're visible after you burn off your belly fat.

Find a comfy spot on the floor and lie flat on your back. Interlock your fingers and place your hands behind your head. Try to relax as you look straight up at the ceiling so you're not holding tension in your shoulders .Keep your feet planted on the floor as you bring your knees up so they form the peak of a triangle and bend at about a 90-degree angle. Keep your feet flat and about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Lift your legs up and away from your body, but keep your knees slightly bent. Then, twist your torso as you draw in your knee. At the same time, rotate your left elbow to touch your right knee. Release the crunch and bring your other knee in towards your chest as you touch the opposite elbow to it. Extend the leg that's not tucked in so it's pushed away from your body as though you're pedaling a bike. Alternate back and forth and aim for about 15-20 crunches per set.

If you can't do bicycle crunches because of an injury, a lack of floor space, or for any other reason, don't worry! There are a few variations and alternatives you can try out. Try standing instead of lying down to do the movement. Twist your waist and bring the elbow of your arm to the knee of your opposite leg. Lift that leg while you twist to mimic the movements of the bicycle crunch. Alternate back and forth for 15 to 20 reps. You can also try keeping your feet flat on the floor instead of pedaling them for an easier version. Lie down on your back, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, and put your hands behind your head. Then, sit up and bend to 1 side, lie back down, and sit up to bend to the other side. Alternate back and forth to work the same muscles as a full bicycle crunch, but modified so it's slightly easier.