Beebleblog

What is it for?

It’s an interesting name and I’d love to say that I invented it, but I am sure people have got there before me. This exercise helps focus on the lower portion of your rectus abdominus (6 pack – Beeble) and also your transverse abdominals (the belt-like supporting stomach muscle – Beeble). This can be one of the hardest exercises to do as it takes a lot of skill, even though there is less movement to it than any other stomach exercise I have shown you.

I particularly like this one because it trains the stomach as it should be used in day-to-day life. You see, we are not designed to bend over with any power. The stomach is rarely used for a power movement, it is however used as a supporting muscle and therefore has to be strong in a static position. The 20-20-20 Leg Hold exercise replicates this very well. Remember that as with all stomach exercises it doesn’t matter how many you do, if you have some excess body fat sitting on top of the muscle you won’t get a flat stomach. As I’ve said before, you need to combine these exercises with a good all over body workout and a healthy wholefood diet.

Technique

I have named this exercise 20-20-20 because at each stage I recommend you hold it for 20 seconds. However beginners should start at a lower level so change it to 5-5-5 to start with and build up from there adding a second each time. Lie on the ground on your back (surprise, surprise – Beeble) Raise your legs to 90 degrees. Now before the exercise starts we need you to activate you transverse abdominals. To do this draw your stomach in (like you were at the beach – Beeble) by doing this you will help prevent your lower back from rising off the ground. This is very important as if your lower back arches up you will not only ruin the point of the exercise but also you will stand a chance of causing yourself an injury. (And now, the exercise – Beeble) With your legs at 90 degrees and your tummy button pulled in you can now lower your legs towards the ground, keeping them straight. To start with make the first move about 5 degrees and hold it there for 20 seconds. Now lower your legs again, keeping them straight, another 5 degrees and hold for a further 20 seconds. Final lot, lower your legs another 5 degrees and hold for your final 20 seconds. After your final 20 seconds you are finished. (Totally finished – Beeble).

When you finish don’t just drop your legs, bring your knees back into your chest and place your feet flat on the floor. This helps avoid any extra pressure in the lower back. As you get stronger and find your own limits you can increase the distance from 5 degrees to more. It is best to start at 5 as it will help you avoid hurting yourself. This is a very tough exercise to breathe on but breathe you must. Try and make your breathing pattern as deep as you can and as steady as you can. When you breathe try to use your rib cage more than your stomach. If while doing this exercise you see your stomach raising up and down with the breathing then you must stop as you will not be using your muscles correctly. Practice it with your legs at 90 degrees until you can breathe with out using your stomach.

Video Guide

In the video guide you will be glad to know that I don’t do a whole minute for you to watch, (he can’t do it – Beeble) I thought it would be far too boring so I have just kept it to a few seconds at each level to give you an idea.

NB: At each section I have lowered my legs by a lot more than 5 degrees. This is in order to make it stand out and the movement to be more obvious. You, of course, should keep the movement a lot less than this until you can keep your lower back from arching at the lower stages.

So in the video you should be able to see that I use my arms out to the side for a bit of support and balance. The better you get the less you will need this. During the whole time you shouldn’t see my lower back raise at all, nor should you see my stomach raise up and down with my breathing. Every time I lower my legs the pull in my stomach increases. However it should always be felt in the stomach muscles. If you start to feel it in your back then stop immediately and use some of the more basic exercises to strengthen your stomach muscles before you tackle this one again.

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The Do’s

•     Start with less time than 20 secs to find your own level
•     Start with small movements at each stage
•     Breathe through your rib cage(we often use our stomachs to aid breathing – Beeble)
•     Only go as far as your stomach will allow you
•     Stop the exercise if you feel it in your back

The Don’ts

•     Don’t hold your breath
•     Don’t lower your legs lower than you can control
•     Don’t arch your back
•     Don’t do this if you have a bad or weak back

Be Careful

This is actually fairly complicated even though the movement looks relatively simple. This is because there is lots that you need to bear in mind before the movement starts. Once your legs are lowered they can act like a lever on your body. If you lower your legs towards the ground it will automatically want to pull your upper body upwards. What actually happens is that it arches your back which will put a lot of stress in this area. Make sure when you do this exercise that you draw your tummy button in towards your spine and do not let your lower back arch up off the ground.

If you have a bad back then do not attempt this exercise. Check with your doctor first and read up on our bad back section. Done incorrectly this exercise could make your back worse. When your back is better it will be exercises like this that will help protect it (all in good time, don’t rush – Beeble).

Adding it to Your Workout

Personally I would pick 4 to 6 different stomach exercises and complete 20 repetitions of each and do a total of 1 to 2 sets each. So that would be a total of 80 – 240 abdominal repetitions in total (How many? – Beeble). May sound a lot to some and may sound like not enough to others but remember it is quality and not quantity. People who are doing over 240 abdominal crunches are potentially just wasting time. With this actual exercise you should find 60 seconds plenty enough. It should be harder than it looks.

I hope you have enjoyed the stomach exercises over the last couple of weeks and they have been clear enough for you to understand. If you have any questions for us about the ab exercises or any other fitness and diet related questions then please contact us and we will do our best to get an answer back to you. You never know you may get featured on one of our posts. Good luck with your training.

One Response to “Stomach Exercise 20-20-20 Leg Drop”

1. Stomach Exercise: The Beeble | Beebleblog Says:
   October 18th, 2007 at 10:12 pm

   [...] exercise is in fact very similar to the 20-20-20 leg drop. However because of the increase in movement and the forces this creates, I would say that it is [...]

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