Between two red carpets and demanding shoots, a 40-year-old American actress is being talked about for something other than her roles. On Instagram, she shows a unique ab exercise, a sequence of reverse crunch and inversion climb, performed on a Pilates machine and analyzed by the magazine Women’s Health. Where most exercises simply bring the torso closer to the knees, this one starts from the pelvis, mobilizes the entire abdominal muscles and spares the neck. Enough to make you want to swap a few sets of classic crunches for this more intelligent variation.
This actress is Alexandra Daddario, heroine of the series
The White Lotuswho revealed his favorite movement, the
reverse candle crunch. Women’s Health explains that this combo begins with an active retroversion of the pelvis that recruits both the upper and lower abs and obliques, while keeping the chest open. The magazine also recalls that research has shown that a controlled retroversion of the pelvis requires a higher percentage of deep fibers than a classic crunch. The result is a stronger core, better posture and a better protected back.
How Alexandra Daddario performs her reverse candle crunch
- Lie on your back, on a mat or reformer, with your arms flat on the ground to anchor yourself;
- Engage the center of the body and bring the knees towards the chest without momentum;
- From there, stretch your feet toward the ceiling to lift your hips and lower back, until you stack your pelvis above your shoulders in a real jackstand;
- Your gaze remains upward, the neck long, the weight well distributed on the shoulders and upper back, not on the head;
- To come down, contract the abdominal belt strongly and unwind the spine, vertebra by vertebra, until the pelvis is resting, with the legs remaining in the air. It’s this slow phase that really works the abs and protects the lower back.
Alexandra Daddario bets on 3 sets of 6 to 8 controlled repetitionskeeping the quality of movement at the center of his session. If you are very comfortable, you can, from the candle, gently let your legs go behind your head in a plow position, before returning in the opposite direction, always smoothly.
Why Alexandra Daddario’s Reverse Candle Crunch Changes Everything for Abs
A classic crunch rolls the torso forward and especially isolates the upper abs, while reinforcing the stooped office posture. With the reverse candle crunch, the movement starts from the pelvis: the retroversion of the pelvis also activates the lower abdomen and the obliques, while keeping the chest open and the neck free.
Adapt the reverse candle crunch to your level in complete safety
If you’re starting out, opt for a simple reverse crunch, with 3 sets of 10 repetitions at 90 degrees of flexion and one minute of rest to maintain control. When you are comfortable with this base, Alexandra Daddario’s candle version and the plow option are reserved for days when the neck feels perfectly good.