Stomach crunches
COURTESY OF GLOBAL FITNESS
Major muscles used
- Upper abdominals (Rectus Abdominis)
- Lower abdominals (Rectus Abdominis)
Performing stomach crunches
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet together flat on the floor and about 10-15 inches from your buttocks.
- Your hands should either be crossed on your chest, by your side, or cupped behind your ears.
- Without moving your lower body, curl your upper torso up and in toward your knees, until your shoulder blades are as high off the ground as you can get them. Only your shoulder blades should lift--not your lower back.
- As you come to the highest point tighten and flex your abdominals for a brief second.
- Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
Be careful
- Don't jerk yourself up to achieve the exercise. Slowly bring yourself up using your abdominals only.
- Don't let your lower back raise off the floor. Go as far up as you feel your abdominals become tight and hold for a brief second.
- Don't move quickly. You must do this exercise very slowly and resist on the way back.
Hints and tips
- To make stomach crunches much harder (and to speed up your results) perform them over a stabilty ball.
- Also perform crunches slowly, taking 3 seconds to come up and 3 seconds to go back down to the starting position.
Alternative exercises to stomach crunches
Courtesy of Global-Fitness.com, your Online Personal Trainer
 |
If you're having problems viewing these video demonstrations, you can download the latest version of QuickTime by clicking here, FREE of charge.
|
Latest health and fitness news
All news stories
Latest quizzes and tests
All quizzes &
tests
|
 |
|
Home
