Just as bench pressing is the fundamental exercise for your chest muscles, the crunch is the ultimate abdominal exercise for your abs. A well-executed crunch movement is the fastest way to a tight six-pack.
In the past, most people used to do sit-ups, which is essentially an exaggerated crunch. The disadvantage of sit-ups is that your hips do most of the work when your back is off the ground. The abdominal muscles are not isolated.
Additionally, there is a higher risk of back injuries when doing sit-ups. The spine is compressed during the movement, which can have painful consequences.
Why should I train my abs with crunches?
During crunches, you only lift your upper back off the ground, and your hips are not engaged. It’s a perfect isolation exercise for your abs, and – along with a good diet – crunches help achieve a beautiful six-pack.
There are many different variations of the crunch, but the standard crunch is still one of the best abdominal exercises out there. You don’t need anything more than a workout mat and a towel to keep the sweat off the ground.
If you want to ensure that not only your abs but also the other muscles in your entire core help keep your body balanced, you can also do crunches on a stability ball or Swiss ball.
The perfect crunch
To effectively train your abs, the crunch must be performed correctly. The following steps guide you perfectly through the entire movement:
- Lie on your back on a firm and preferably soft surface. A workout mat is ideal for crunches. However, avoid doing abdominal exercises on your bed; your mattress supports your body too much.
- Bend your knees. You can place your feet flat on the ground or you can keep your feet off the ground and dangling.
- There are generally two ways to position your arms: cross them in front of your chest or keep them behind your head. Do not clasp your hands together, but let your head or neck rest gently on your hands. Do not pull your head forward.
- Arch your back and move your shoulders towards the ceiling by engaging only your abdominal muscles. Do not lift your entire back off the ground; this can cause injuries and won’t help you get tighter abs faster. Only move your shoulder blades off the ground using your abdominal muscles.
- Slowly lower your back and briefly relax your abs before performing the next repetition.
Tips for tight abs with perfect crunches
The correct execution of the crunch for your abs is not difficult, but you need to pay attention to a few things:
- Keep your neck straight by looking straight ahead throughout the entire movement, towards the ceiling. It’s easy to move your head forward so it seems like you’ve already done half the movement, but you risk injury. It doesn’t help your abs at all…
- If you keep your hands behind your head, make sure your elbows do not move towards each other. Keep them both at the level of your ears. Bringing your elbows together will cause you to pull your head forward faster.
- Do not clasp your hands behind your head for the same reason.
- Ensure your back remains flat on the ground throughout the entire movement. If you can’t keep your back flat on the ground throughout the entire movement, place your lower legs on a fitness bench or keep them in the air with your thighs pointing straight up.
- Exhale and engage your abdominal muscles as you move your shoulders upward. Once your shoulder blades are off the ground, hold that position for a second or more before moving back down.
- Do your crunches on a soft surface, such as a workout mat. Doing crunches on a hard surface doesn’t feel good on your back.
