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Cocoons

A lying full-body crunch that pulls knees and torso together from a fully extended position, training the entire rectus abdominis through a long range.

AbsBodyweightTrunk flexion
GoLightWeight mediacocoons

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Rectus abdominis

Secondary

Hip flexorsObliquesSerratus anterior

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Trunk flexion

Setup

  1. 01Lie flat on the floor with legs extended and together.
  2. 02Reach the arms straight overhead along the floor.
  3. 03Press the lower back gently toward the floor.
  4. 04Keep the head in a neutral position looking up.

Execution

  1. 01Exhale and simultaneously lift the torso and pull the knees toward the chest.
  2. 02Sweep the arms from overhead to wrap toward the shins.
  3. 03Squeeze into a tight ball at the top with abs fully shortened.
  4. 04Extend back out slowly until arms and legs hover just off the floor.

Checkpoints

  • -Upper and lower body move at the same time, meeting in the middle.
  • -Heels and hands stay off the floor between reps.
  • -The lower back is the only contact point at full extension.
  • -Each rep is smooth, not a jerk from the shoulders.

Common mistakes

  • -Resting arms and legs fully on the floor between reps.
  • -Yanking the head and neck forward to start the movement.
  • -Extending out so fast the lower back arches off the floor.
  • -Cutting the range short and never fully extending.

Programming notes

  • -Use 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
  • -Shorten the extended position if the lower back loses contact.
  • -A natural progression from tuck crunches toward full V-ups.

Related exercises

V-Up

Bodyweight / Abs

Jackknife Sit-Up

Bodyweight / Abs

Tuck Crunch

Bodyweight / Abs

Band V-Up

Band / Abs

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