- Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch.
- Now place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Tip: Don't lock your fingers behind your head.
- While pushing the small of your back down in the floor to better isolate your abdominal muscles, begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.
- Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back as you contract your abdominals and exhale. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. At the top of the movement, contract your abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second. Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum.
- After the one second contraction, begin to come down slowly again to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Variations: There are many variations for the crunch. You can perform the exercise with weights, or on top of an exercise ball or on a decline bench.
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Review: Crunches
Apr 8, 2013 6:05 AM: getting easier
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Review: Crunches
Mar 23, 2012 4:46 PM: One of the best exercises for the abs. I do 3 sets of 40 reps and one set to failure with a 20 lbs plate in my chest. I don't increase the number of reps but the weight I use.
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Tip: Crunches
Jan 7, 2012 6:26 AM: The best excersise for the abs - but only when done correctly. See, what a lot of people (for some reason) don't realise is that abs are like any other muscle in the body; they train better with more resistance. Don't waste your time doing 200 crunches with only your body weight. Put a weighted barbell,...+See More
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Tip: Crunches
Nov 19, 2011 8:43 PM: lightly put a weight plate behind head
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Review: Crunches
Nov 12, 2011 5:17 AM: a good excerise to start off with, but it only isolates to so few muscles.
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Review: Crunches
May 22, 2011 11:36 AM: Great Exercise
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Tip: Crunches
Feb 12, 2011 9:48 AM: Make sure to not strain your neck. Keep your hands on the sides of your head, or better yet on your chest.
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Review: Crunches
Aug 10, 2010 12:31 PM: easiest
of people found this review helpful
Review: Crunches
Aug 10, 2010 12:31 PM: easiest
of people found this tip helpful
Tip: Crunches
Jul 1, 2010 1:45 AM: when inexperienced people do crunches they will most likely mess it up by doing them too fast or not even targeting the abs.When doing crunches I find it works best for me when I tighten my abs and go slow.