Day 20 is the shortest count on any card and the hardest hold. Four knee-to-elbow crunches, a 4-count hollow hold, five rounds, 2 minutes rest, sets by Level. Crunches are counted as a total, so 4 is two per side; the hold is four counts because the hollow position is the most demanding shape in the program and four honest counts, five times, is the right amount.
The knee-to-elbow crunch is drawn sitting in a V with the legs off the floor and the hands behind the head: one knee draws in as the torso twists to meet it with the opposite elbow, then the leg extends back out and the other side goes. Every rep is a crunch and a twist with the legs never touching down. The hollow hold then lies you back - arms reaching overhead, shoulders and legs lifted a few inches off the floor, body curved like a shallow bowl - for four counts. Twenty crunches and 20 counts of hollow per set; small numbers, big effort.
In the crunches, turn the ribcage toward the knee rather than pulling on the neck with the hands; elbows stay wide. Keep the extended leg straight and off the floor throughout. In the hollow hold, press the lower back into the floor before lifting anything, then lift the shoulders and legs only as far as the lower back stays down - that is the height, however low it is. Breathe out as you settle into it.
Four crunches, four counts, and the abs discover that small numbers can weigh a lot.
Make it Harder: Take the hollow hold lower, shoulders and legs hovering just off the floor, with the arms reaching long behind you.
Make it Easier: Keep the heels on the floor for the crunches and lift only the shoulders in the hollow hold, legs down.
