Tip The Modified Pike Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness TrainingVideos Tip The Modified Pike Place your elbows on a bench and allow a bit of bending in the knees for better activation and results by Pieter van der Linde December 21, 2017April 5, 2021 Tags Abs, Exercise Coaching, Tips Position yourself with your elbows on a standard bench with your lower legs (shins) on a stability ball. Push yourself up into a plank to get into the starting position. From here, start by rounding your back and tucking in your tailbone. Without shifting your weight forward over the bench, flex your abs to push your low back up towards the ceiling as you allow your knees to bend slightly as they move toward your chest. It's very important that your focus is on driving your low back up, NOT to actively pull your knees to your chest. This will keep the contraction more in your abs and less in your hip flexors. Once you're in full flexion, lower your body back to the starting position. Think about extending your spine to neutral, not pushing the legs out. Stop at neutral and repeat. Coaching Tips Doing this exercise from the floor is a good variation, but it can be too advanced for some lifters. If your intention is work your rectus abdominis, keeping the movement out of the hips is the first thing to consider. Maintaining a set position in the pelvis gives your abs an anchor point to pull on and flex the spine, as well as keeping the legs and hip flexors out of it. When you make the movement less advanced, you allow for better control and focus during the whole set. When an exercise is difficult to perform, most of the focus shifts away from the muscles being worked and into completing the movement. This leads to a "get it done, no matter what" kind of thing. The intention is just as important as the movement itself. If you can't feel the muscle working, you're missing the point. Perform a slight rocking motion at the bottom of the rep by shifting your weight back toward your feet to insure you keep the focus on your abs and not on your shoulders. This weight transfer into the feet will light up your core. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training This Kills Your Weight Training Results Let s Fix It Weight training is all about hard work, but overdoing lifting volume will slow or even stop your gains. Here's why and what to do instead. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength Christian Thibaudeau June 13 Training Get Your Butt In Gear 2 Strong glutes make strong lifters... and sexy ones too. Here's how to get yours in gear. Bodybuilding, Glutes, Training Eric Cressey & Mike Robertson September 13 Training Eccentric vs Concentric The purpose of this column is tri-fold. Purpose number one is as a "refresher course" for seasoned lifters. Sure, deep down, you may know this stuff, but it's been so long since you first read about it that you've forgotten the rationale behind the subject matter. Training TC Luoma January 11 Training Tip Extended Sets for Triceps Get the best pump of your life and trigger new muscle growth with the extended set method. Arms, Exercise Coaching, Tips Mark Dugdale July 20