We all know that the abdominals can be one of the most difficult places to lose weight. This is especially true for women. Women tend to both gain and retain more weight in this area than men, due to childbirth. However, it is possible to get fit and fabulous abs. One way to do that is to incorporate the crunch into your fitness routine.
The crunch is one of the most common exercises to work the abdominal region. However, it is often performed improperly. To perform the proper crunch you should:
- Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent. Place your hands behind or beside your neck.
- Exhale as you lift your shoulder blades one to two inches off of the floor.
- Continue to breathe as you hold the move for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower back down to starting position.
- Complete 15 to 20 reps.
It is important when practicing the crunch to avoid pulling on the back of the head and neck. Doing this can cause strain and injury to the neck, and make the crunch uncomfortable.
You should keep your ab muscles contracted when performing the crunch to receive the maximum benefit.
If you do not find the crunch challenging enough you can add an exercise ball to increase the difficulty. Adding the exercise ball to this exercise will allow you to get a wider range of motion, in turn working more muscles. Incorporating an exercise ball also adds the challenge of maintaining your balance while performing the crunch.
You may also want to consider different variations of the crunch including; the reverse crunch, the twisting crunch, the Thai crunch, the cable crunch, and the bicycle crunch.
The crunch is not a super fast exercise in terms of quick results, but if you continue to exercise daily you will get results.
The home workout videos
P90X,
Chalean Extreme, and
The 10 Minute Trainer all have specialized ab routines that will get you the stomache you want.
If you hate doing crunches but still want nice abs, try
Hip Hop Abs workout, Shaun T will get you the abs you want without ever doing a crunch or a sit up.
