How To Do Crunches: An All-Inclusive Guide
Crunches have long been the obsession of health enthusiasts. Crunches have become a household name, and everyone knows a thing or two about the classic crunches. These crunches are particularly popular with the abdominal muscle community. It is believed that crunches are one of the best exercises for building abs.
Crunches not only build abdominal muscles, but also provide stability and balance in the body. They also give strength to the muscles. The main target of the crunches is the rectus abdominis muscle and the quads (in the bicycle crunches). In addition, these crunches help reduce body fat and reduce weight.
Now crunches are going to be a boon to the body, as evidenced by the number of crunch benefits highlighted above. Hence, we're going to discuss the best and right way to do the crunches, as one wrong exercise can cause you to pull a muscle or two, which can be painful. Therefore, this exercise must be done correctly.
Step by step instructions:
The following instructions are for the very basic type of crunches. In my opinion, you should practice the basic crunches first and then move on to the other hard crunches.
- Start by lying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling.
- Your legs should be bent from your knees and your hands should be folded behind your neck. This will help you support your neck and head. This prevents injuries from stretching the neck too much.
- You can also cross your hands over your chest, and some people find this posture easier to hold than the one mentioned above.
- Now tighten your abdominal muscle area by pulling your belly button towards your spine.
- Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and gradually pull your back up as well.
- Stand up until you are almost in the sitting position.
- Stay there for 05 seconds and then return to your starting position.
- However, make sure that you do not relax as the exercise is not over yet.
- First, try doing about 10 to 15 repetitions of this exercise, then gradually increase them.
- But make sure you don't try too hard. If you experience pain in the abdominal muscles, stop doing this exercise. You can always do it tomorrow.
Common mistakes:
Relax on the floor:
As mentioned above, you shouldn't relax on the floor between exercises as this can release tension from your body, especially your shoulders and abs.
This is not something you want to do. To stop this from happening, do not allow yourself to lie down completely and keep your shoulders off the floor at all times.
To stretch the neck too much:
If you stretch your neck too much during this exercise, it means that you are not doing this exercise properly at all. It means that you are starting this movement from your head and neck instead of your abs. Hence, you may want to keep your neck stiff rather than stretching or pulling it.
Bend your back:
Arching your back during this exercise is a poor option and should be avoided. This can lead to back injuries.
However, it is best if your focus is not on straightening your back instead of focusing on the abs. It's okay if you end up with a natural arch. This will not restrict movement. However, a very high slope is not recommended.
Variations on the crunches:
- Bike crunches
- Reverse crunches
- Vertical leg crunches
- Crossover crunches
- Long arm crunches
- Weighted crunches
- Cable crunches
How To Do Crunches: An All Inclusive Guide was first published on AnytimeStrength.