One of the most rigorous ways to work your abs is the “V-Up,” or Jack Knife. When you are finished with a few repetitions of these, you will feel muscles you never even knew you had.
If you want an intense ab workout, it is essential to perform this exercise regularly and properly. When combined with the rest of your exercises, you will build a set of 6 – pack abs in a very short period of time.
Jack Knives center in on muscles that are not regularly used in daily life or in the average workout. Because of this, you should easily develop 6 pack or even 8 pack abs in virtually no time.
Six-pack abs don’t come easy, but with this exercise you will see results quickly and easily.
Benefits to Jack Knifes
The benefit to V-Ups is that you work your stomach, back and legs together. You are able to place focus on muscles that are rarely touched during traditional workouts and that are typically ignored during your daily life.
You can create variations of this exercise that work additional muscle groups and focus on different sets of muscles as needed.
How to Warm-up for Jack Knives
Warming up for V-Ups requires you to warm up your abdominal muscles, your back and your legs. You should stretch all muscle groups involved and then, warm up by walking, running in place and doing a few repetitions of standard sit ups.
*Note, if you have a neck injury of any kind, you should not attempt this exercise.
The Proper Form for Jack Knives
The proper form to complete V-Ups is necessary in order to prevent injury.
Your neck should remain straight at all times. Keep your neck straight and do not push your head forward during the exercise, this risks hyperextending your neck.
Bring your legs to the point where they form a 45 degree angle. Slowly lower them back down to the ground. Your toes should be flexed toward your body. If at any time the exercise becomes too easy, you can add a dumbbell between your feet.
Ensure that your back stays on the ground at all times. To place more emphasis on your abs, raise your shoulders a few inches from the floor.
Make sure to keep your arms very straight and get a thorough stretch of your abs. This is the purpose of keeping your arms straight and stretching backward. As you bring your body up, force your abs to contract as tight as possible.
Make sure to keep every movement well controlled. The key to the exercise is to keep your body under control at all times. The better control you manage during the exercise, the better results you will achieve.
How to Cool Down
In order to properly cool down from the exercise you must stretch out every muscle that was used during the exercise. After stretching, you should make sure to walk for at least 10 minutes to release all of the lactic acid from your body.