Crunch

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Place mat on floor.
2. Lay on mat, with knees bent and feet flat on floor.
3. Bend arms at elbow and place hands close to ears so they are not involved in the execution.
4. Keep a suitable clearance between your chin and chest throughout the exercise.

Excution/Movement

1. Raise head and shoulders off floor, rounding the upper portion of your back.
2. After peak contraction, slowly lower shoulders and head back to starting position.
3. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Comments

The crunch is an effective exercise to stimulate the rectus abdominis, whilst minimising hip flexor involvement. Also recruited during the flexion of the spine is the internal and external oblique.

To create intra-abdominal pressure to protect the spine, hold your breath whilst raising your head and shoulders off the floor during the concentric phrase of the exercise.

Performing the crunch will not spot reduce fat off the abdominal region. The crunch will provide stimulus for possible hypertrophy of the rectus abdominis to take place. If we wish to create a trimmer waist then diet and cardiovascular activities need to be addressed.