3 of 10

Write now Article Tools

Some of the most problematic parts of the body to keep in shape are abdominal muscles. People try anything to get their abdominal muscles flat. The most popular way to get abdominal muscles in shape is making crunches, also known as curl ups. There are many types of crunches from the simplest to more complicated. Now, the question is how to do a perfect crunch? The first thing is to master the basic types of crunches.

There are two basic types of crunches: traditional and reverse crunch. The traditional crunch works your upper abdominal muscles while in the inverse crunch works your lower abdominal muscles. Following it is a description of the proper way to do these exercises.

TRADITIONAL CRUNCH

*Starting Position
Lying with your back on the floor. Knees bent. Feet flat on the floor, separated as wide as your hips. Hands on the back of the head. Lower back flat against the floor.

*Movement
When you do your first set, inhale and exhale slowly three times to relax your abdominal muscles. Start taking a big breath. Slowly lift your torso off the floor as you exhale up to your shoulder blades just lift the floor. Hold in this position about two seconds. Inhale while you resuming the starting position. Repeat.

REVERSE CRUNCH

*Starting Position
Lying with your back on the floor. Extent your legs towards the ceiling. Bent your knees about 90 degrees. Hands in the back of the head.

*Movement
Contract your abs slowly and lift your hip off the floor up to your coccyx leaves off the floor. Be back slowly to the starting position.

CRUNCH VARIANTS

There are many crunch variants. Here the most known, according to the position of different parts of the body, equipment and movement:

*Hand Positions

Behind the neck, beside the neck, crossed over chest, hanging on in a horizontal bar, on both sites of the body, behind the ears, or using a towel to hold your head when you perform the movement.

*Feet Positions
Flat on the floor or on a wall.

*Knees Positions
Bent with feet on the floor, bent at an angle of 90 degrees.

*Legs
Straight with feet facing up , in the case of reverse crunches. Lower legs on a bench or a chair

*Equipment
You can use different equipment or apparatus: cable machines, Swiss balls, disks, abdominal exercisors, towels, chair, inclined bench, among the most common.

*Movement

Straight or oblique

Whatever type of crunches that you practice, there are dos and don'ts:

*Do

-Use comfortable clothes, that allow you to move freely and tennis shoes.

-Make the movements slowly, this way the muscles work better and you get better results.

-Contract your abs as you are exhaling.

-Keep your neck in a proper alignment.

-Lie on an exercise mat, to prevent back strain.

-Keep your lower back flat against the floor while you are moving, in the case of traditional crunch.

-Relax your muscles, stay focused on your abdomen while you are doing crunch.

-Minimum one set of ten repetitions of each one, three times a week.

*Don'ts

-Brusque movements.

-Contract so much your neck.

-Exert force on the neck with your hands.

-Allow lower back leave the floor, in the case of traditional crunch.

If you mastered the basic crunch form will be easier to learn other crunch variants. Remember that the perfect crunch for an individual person is the one that leads to an effective reduction in the abdomen and a good conditioning of this.

Learn more about this author, Jeanesse Whyte.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to do a perfect crunch?
We want to hear your view. Write now!