Bottoms Up

Bottoms Up Instructions

• Lie down on the floor with your feet and legs together. Arms are resting at your sides. 
• Keep your legs and feet together with a slight bend in the knee.
• Your arms are resting at your side, palms down.
• Elevate your legs and feet slightly off the ground.
• Keep your low back pinned against the floor.
• Your upper back can come up slightly.
• You want to go into a posterior pelvic tilt by bringing your knees toward your face. This contracts your lower abs properly.
• Your pelvis should "curl" slightly toward you. The purpose of the rectus abdominus muscles is to flex the trunk.
• Create the mind-muscle connection of your abs contracting like a bicep curl. 
• Once your legs reach the top position of a Reverse Leg Raise, extend your hips and legs upward. 
• Squeeze your glutes at the top.
• Arms are fixated on the ground aiding in support.
• Reverse the motion slowly, DO NOT DROP YOUR LEGS TO THE FLOOR.
• This will ruin the contraction you have created from the concentric portion of the exercise.
• During the eccentric portion, don't let your low back arch, maintain that core tightness. 

*Tips*

• Your back is never arched during this movement. 
• You don't want a rigid torso. This will negate your abdominals being used and force the stimulus to your quads and hip flexor.
• You are not "braced" as if you are about to squat or deadlift.
• Don't SWING YOUR LEGS UP!
• This is a controlled bodyweight movement. There is nothing rushed about this exercise.