How To Do Kick Crunch Effectively

Kick Crunch is a kicking exercise that combines a front kick movement with a toe touch. It’s designed to work the muscles of the legs and core, as well as increase flexibility and balance.

What Muscles Does Kick Crunch Work?

Primary muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, core
Secondary muscles worked: Lower body
Equipment: No equipment
Calories Burned: 80 cal / 10 min

How To Perform the Kick Crunch Effectively

1. Starting from a standing position, look straight ahead, keep back straight, and open your chest.

2. Lift the left leg to be parallel to the ground, reach forward with your right arm, and try to touch your left foot with your right hand. Exhale while stretching your leg.

3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Inhale when alternating sides.

4. Lift the right leg to be parallel to the ground, reach forward with your left arm, and try to touch your right foot with your left hand.

5. Alternate sides with each repetition in a fast-paced move, until the set is complete.

Sets And Reps

Start by doing 1 or 2 sets of 10 reps for each exercise or perform each exercise for 60 seconds. Rest for 60 seconds between sets. Over time, increase the number of sets and reps as you become stronger, until you can do 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Benefits of Kick Crunch

This exercise warms your legs, core and buttocks, you can stretch your hamstrings and increase the flexibility of your hip joints. It helps to tone your abs, trims down your waist, strengthens your core , which can lead to reduced back pain and improved balance.

It also works your cardiovascular system, so you’ll boost your heart rate while burning calories. Its movement pattern prepares your body for more advanced movements. If you play soccer, doing kick crunch regularly may help improve your jump height and sprint speed.

As a functional strength exercise, doing kick crunch regularly can make it easier to perform everyday activities that involve similar movements, such as climbing the stairs.

Kick Crunch Variations

Once you master the basic sets, you can try more variations of the exercise:

Side Toe Touch Exercise
Single Leg Toe Touch
Rotating Toe Touches

Kick Crunch FAQs

What are the precautions and safety points for the exercise?

You’d better keep an empty stomach while doing this exercise.
Don’t touch your toes too hard, as this can lead to sprain of certain muscle groups. Over time, your body will become more flexible and it will be easier to touch your toes.
Pregnant women and those with back injuries should avoid this type of exercise as it puts pressure on their upper body.

Does kick crunch improve your running ability?

Your core should be strong and stable to help you maintain an efficient running form, posture, and drive your body forward. One of the best exercises to strengthen your core is the toe touch. The Kick Crunch exercise is one example of a toe touch variation that will maximize your running speed, increase your flexibility, and reduce your risk of injuries.

Related Lower Body Exercises

Here are some other lower body exercises that will help you strengthen, sculpt and tone your thighs, hips, legs and glutes:

Leg raises
Flutter kicks
Single leg lunge
Lunges

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