Exercise Variation Can Increase/Decrease Difficulty

Basic abdominal exercises can be made easier or more difficult just by changing where you put your hands or feet. With some minor adjustments you can manage the intensity of your movement. You can make the standard crunch movement more difficult by raising your feet off the ground (either in a tuck position or legs straight up position). You can do the same with your hands; the closer they are to your center of gravity, the less resistance; the further away, the greater the resistance. So again using the standard crunch movement you can go through the following progression from easier to more difficult: start with hands on or beside your knees -->arms across your chest-->arms behind your head-->arms extended over your head. Always perfect the basic movements first before moving to more difficult positions. These and other techniques can help you move up the intensity without using weight. Try some of these and see if you don't agree they add "kick" to your workout.