|
 Custom Search
|
Abdominal CrunchesAbdominal Crunches - The Most Common Abs ExercisesIf you are looking to flatten your stomach and get a great set of abs, then check out these abdominal exercises. These are some of the more common stomach exercises and will work both the upper and lower abdominal muscles, or your rectus abdominis muscle.  The
rectus abdominis is often referred to as your six pack abs and most
people think of this as separate muscles with upper abs and lower ab
muscles. But in fact, this is actually one long
muscle. So
when performing abdominal crunches, you will be working the entire
muscle but with a focus on the upper or lower area of this muscle. List of Abdominal Crunches To see the abdominal crunches exercise instructions and videos, just scroll down the page or select from the list below to go directly to that exercise.
Abdominal Exercises Crunches #1 - Traditional Crunch The traditional crunch works your rectus abdominus muscle. It is one of the most common abs exercises and is believed by many to be one of the most effective. However, you may want to read the results of one study on the best ab exercises before you make up your mind on which is the best abdominal exercise. How to do the Traditional Crunch
Click on the video to watch a demonstration of the traditional crunch ab exercise. Back to List Abdominal Exercises Crunches #2 - Reverse Crunch The reverse crunch is very effective for the lower abdominal muscles and helps get you fab abs. You can do this exercise with bent knees, legs crossed or legs straight. How to do the Reverse Crunch
This exercise video below explains the reverse crunch and gives you pointers to make sure you are using your ab muscles and not momentum to do this ab exercise. Back to List Abdominal Exercise Crunches #3 - Vertical Leg Crunch The vertical leg crunch is a slight variation of the traditional crunch. With a slight variation you can do a full vertical leg crunch which is explained below. This six pack exercise was rated number 4 in a study of some of the most effective ab exercises.
The exercise video below demonstrates this exercise with bent knees and arms across the chest. This is a slight variation to the instructions above. Back to List Abdominal Exercises Crunches #4 - Long Arm Crunch This is yet another variation of the traditional crunch. How to do the Long Arm Crunch
Click on the exercise video below to see a demonstration of this exercise. Back to List Abdominal Exercises Crunches Using Stability Ball Here are some videos demonstrating how to do variations of a crunch using an exercise stability ball. Just click on the video you want to watch. This will open in a new window. To see all the videos, just click the next and previous buttons once the video launches in the new window. Advantages and Disadvantages of Abdominal Crunches
Some of the disadvantages of doing abdominal crunches is the limited range of motion. The crunch requires very little movement of the spine and stomach, which limits the area of muscle worked. Another disadvantage to crunches is that it requires no additional resistance in the form of weight or an exercise ball. Therefore you can outgrow or plateau your strength training on these abdominal muscles. If this happens, try using an exercise ball or add some weights to your crunches. For more abdominal crunches, check out these top 3 ab exercises. For a full list of all free exercise videos on this site, visit the fitness video page. Related Articles Lose Belly Fat Doing 100 abdominal crunches is not the secret to losing belly fat. Find out here what the secret is to a flat stomach. Exercise Myths Spot toning - fact or fiction? Find out here. Exercise 4 Weight Loss
2 Achieve Fitness and Health
© 2008 - 2009
Exercise4WeightLoss.com
|
|
