Crunches
Crunches are one of the most basic, most fundamental, and most important bodyweight strength exercises in existence. So many body movements rely on the strength and stability of the core/abdominal muscles that it is crucial to set a strong foundation for abdominal strength.
There are dozens of great abdominal exercises ranging from low difficulty to high difficulty but basic Crunches are one of the few basic ab exercises that will be important from your first day in the gym all the way for the rest of our life. The reason they are crucially important from the beginning is that Crunches train the most basic function of the rectus abdominis (the six pack abdominal muscle), which is to shorten the distance between the rib cage and the pelvis by "flexing" the spine, (ie crunching the torso forwards by contracting the abs).
If this basic function is not mastered then the abdominal muscles will be ill equipped to perform important tasks like stabilizing the spine for Plank, Pushup Position, Sit-ups, Hanging Knee Raises, Back Squats, Front Squats, Stiff Leg Deadlifts, Good Mornings, etc, etc.
Before moving on to more advanced exercises, a person must first learn to properly contract the abs by practicing and strengthening their most basic function. This most basic function is the Crunch. Once it is mastered properly, you will know how to deliberately contract your abs and will therefore be able to use them on any other exercise that you perform.
Even after you have mastered Crunches they will be an exercise that you will want to keep in your strength training routine forever because basic crunching strength and the ability to tightly and deliberately contract the rectus abdominis is crucially important for all strength feats and functional bodyweight strength.
To perform Crunches properly you may either lie on the ground or on a flat bench of some sort. Try to give yourself a semi-padded surface so that you will not be distracted from focusing on your exercise technique by the discomfort of your back during the exercise. You may either tuck your knees up and cross your ankles or leave your feet on the floor and bend at your knees. Simply choose the position that is most comfortable to you and that allows you to keep your lower back pressed firmly and flatly against the ground (we do not want the small of your back lifting up at any point during the exercise).
Once in position, put your hands on the sides of your head, tuck your chin to your chest, and contract your abdominal muscles to cause your torso to crunch forward. The crunching movement should shorten the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and your pelvis, but it should not cause you to actually sit up. Once the abs have crunched your torso as far forward as they can, simply reverse your motion (using the control of your abdominal muscles) and return to the starting position to begin the next rep. Do not stop or relax your abdominal muscles at the bottom of the exercise however. Smoothly transition into the next rep without ever allowing your muscles to lose their contraction. Simply change directions smoothly by contracting your abs firmly and under control when you reach the bottom of the crunch. Not only is it important to not relax at the bottom of the exercise, it is also important to no utilize momentum of any kind during the exercise. Maintain firm muscular control over your movement at all times with your abs. Don't jerk your arms, neck, or torso at all. This is actually more difficult than it sounds and these are the most common mistakes that people make when attempting to perform Crunches and it is often why people do not get results from Crunches. Proper technique and form are of paramount importance for any exercise, but they are of even greater importance when performing ab exercises. It is very easy to accidentally recruit other muscles to take over and get you through the motion without fully utilizing your abs. If you have any desire to build strong, toned, lean, defined, useful abs then you absolutely must focus intensely on proper form and on carefully contracting your abs fully and properly during ab exercises.
Consequently this is one of the reasons that Crunches should always remain as an important part of your bodyweight strength training routine. Many other ab exercises require other muscles to work in conjunction with the abs to perform the exercise. This is fine. This is functional. This is how the body works in real life. However, if you do not train the abs individually and specifically with Crunches then you will be at risk of drifting away from your ability to tightly and deliberately contract your abs. You may drift towards utilizing momentum or even your hip flexors excessively for ab movements. This can lead to a whole host of muscular imbalances that can result in hip problems, knee problems, lower back problems, or some combination of all three.
Crunches are the most basic of ab exercises and are also one of the most important. Utilize them from day one, perform them properly, and give them the respect they deserve. In so doing, you will be well rewarded for your effort with excellent results.
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.getrealstrength.com
There are dozens of great abdominal exercises ranging from low difficulty to high difficulty but basic Crunches are one of the few basic ab exercises that will be important from your first day in the gym all the way for the rest of our life. The reason they are crucially important from the beginning is that Crunches train the most basic function of the rectus abdominis (the six pack abdominal muscle), which is to shorten the distance between the rib cage and the pelvis by "flexing" the spine, (ie crunching the torso forwards by contracting the abs).
If this basic function is not mastered then the abdominal muscles will be ill equipped to perform important tasks like stabilizing the spine for Plank, Pushup Position, Sit-ups, Hanging Knee Raises, Back Squats, Front Squats, Stiff Leg Deadlifts, Good Mornings, etc, etc.
Before moving on to more advanced exercises, a person must first learn to properly contract the abs by practicing and strengthening their most basic function. This most basic function is the Crunch. Once it is mastered properly, you will know how to deliberately contract your abs and will therefore be able to use them on any other exercise that you perform.
Even after you have mastered Crunches they will be an exercise that you will want to keep in your strength training routine forever because basic crunching strength and the ability to tightly and deliberately contract the rectus abdominis is crucially important for all strength feats and functional bodyweight strength.
To perform Crunches properly you may either lie on the ground or on a flat bench of some sort. Try to give yourself a semi-padded surface so that you will not be distracted from focusing on your exercise technique by the discomfort of your back during the exercise. You may either tuck your knees up and cross your ankles or leave your feet on the floor and bend at your knees. Simply choose the position that is most comfortable to you and that allows you to keep your lower back pressed firmly and flatly against the ground (we do not want the small of your back lifting up at any point during the exercise).
Once in position, put your hands on the sides of your head, tuck your chin to your chest, and contract your abdominal muscles to cause your torso to crunch forward. The crunching movement should shorten the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and your pelvis, but it should not cause you to actually sit up. Once the abs have crunched your torso as far forward as they can, simply reverse your motion (using the control of your abdominal muscles) and return to the starting position to begin the next rep. Do not stop or relax your abdominal muscles at the bottom of the exercise however. Smoothly transition into the next rep without ever allowing your muscles to lose their contraction. Simply change directions smoothly by contracting your abs firmly and under control when you reach the bottom of the crunch. Not only is it important to not relax at the bottom of the exercise, it is also important to no utilize momentum of any kind during the exercise. Maintain firm muscular control over your movement at all times with your abs. Don't jerk your arms, neck, or torso at all. This is actually more difficult than it sounds and these are the most common mistakes that people make when attempting to perform Crunches and it is often why people do not get results from Crunches. Proper technique and form are of paramount importance for any exercise, but they are of even greater importance when performing ab exercises. It is very easy to accidentally recruit other muscles to take over and get you through the motion without fully utilizing your abs. If you have any desire to build strong, toned, lean, defined, useful abs then you absolutely must focus intensely on proper form and on carefully contracting your abs fully and properly during ab exercises.
Consequently this is one of the reasons that Crunches should always remain as an important part of your bodyweight strength training routine. Many other ab exercises require other muscles to work in conjunction with the abs to perform the exercise. This is fine. This is functional. This is how the body works in real life. However, if you do not train the abs individually and specifically with Crunches then you will be at risk of drifting away from your ability to tightly and deliberately contract your abs. You may drift towards utilizing momentum or even your hip flexors excessively for ab movements. This can lead to a whole host of muscular imbalances that can result in hip problems, knee problems, lower back problems, or some combination of all three.
Crunches are the most basic of ab exercises and are also one of the most important. Utilize them from day one, perform them properly, and give them the respect they deserve. In so doing, you will be well rewarded for your effort with excellent results.
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.getrealstrength.com