Crunches

Tighten up your core with this!

Crunches are easily the most famous of all Ab exercises. Perhaps even dethroning the former king “Sit-ups”. While they have some use and are effective when done properly, it would still be a good idea to use a wide variety of exercises when it comes to targeting your core. 

The Rectus Abdominis is the main muscle that you are targeting with crunches. The rectus abdominis are the “6-pack” muscles that we all have running from the bottom of our chest all the way down to the top of our pelvis.

Many times people focus on trying to get up as high as possible when it comes to doing crunches. But the main thing that you concentrate on is, making the muscles work throughout the exercise. You really want to feel the muscles doing the work. 

Too often people go too fast and use momentum when it comes to completing crunches. Momentum does not allow the muscle to get properly used and therefore it will be difficult to get the results you’re looking for.

There are many varieties of crunches that you can do as well. However, it would be a good idea to master the basic movement of the crunch in order to get the full benefit of the exercise. The fastest way to get results is to understand what muscles are being worked and how. 

Directions:

1: Lay on the floor with your feet flat, place your hands behind your head slightly raise your head and shoulders off the floor.

2. While pressing your mid-back into the floor, contract your abs to raise your upper body off the floor pause at the top

3. Slowly lower your head back to the original position

Tip 1: Be sure to let your head rest in your hands, don’t pull on your head.

Tip 2. Be sure to pause at the top of the movement to allow your abs to “fire” and become involved