Cocoons
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Begin by lying on your back on the ground. Your legs should be straight and your arms extended behind your head. This will be your starting position.
- 2To perform the movement, tuck the knees toward your chest, rotating your pelvis to lift your glutes from the floor. As you do so, flex the spine, bringing your arms back over your head to perform a simultaneous crunch motion.
- 3After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
table_chartRecommended sets and reps
These ranges vary depending on your training goal — adjust the load accordingly.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| boltStrength | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–5 min |
| fitness_centerHypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| timerEndurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 30–45 s |
About Cocoons
Cocoons combine a knee tuck toward the chest with an upper-body crunch in one fluid motion, as if the body folds in on itself like a cocoon, hence the name. Lying on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight, you simultaneously pull the knees toward the chest and the arms up over the head while flexing the spine, creating a full abdominal contraction from top to bottom of the rectus abdominis. It's more demanding on coordination than a simple crunch, since it works the upper and lower abs at the same time while lightly engaging the hip flexors. Perform it slowly to really feel the contraction rather than chasing speed.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleTrains upper and lower abs in a single movement
- check_circleImproves coordination between arms and legs
- check_circleRequires no equipment
- check_circleAlso lightly strengthens the hip flexors
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbSynchronize the arms and knees coming up together
- lightbulbEngage the abs before moving the limbs
- lightbulbKeep the movement slow and controlled
- lightbulbAvoid yanking your neck with your arms
warningCommon mistakes
- warningMoving the arms and legs out of sync instead of together
- warningUsing momentum instead of abdominal contraction
- warningNot flexing the spine enough
- warningRushing through reps too quickly
helpFrequently asked questions
Are cocoons suitable for beginners?expand_more
They require a baseline of ab strength; if the movement feels too hard, start with regular crunches first and progress from there.
What's the difference from a regular crunch?expand_more
The cocoon adds a simultaneous knee tuck, which also engages the lower abs and demands more coordination.
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