Featured Exercise #3

The crunch is an amazing little tool. The crunch works the rectus abdominus - the tall vertical muscle that runs from the diaphragm to the pelvis. It is separated in to several muscle bunches and is layered. There are core muscles deep inside, under the surface muscles. These are the support structures for the trunk. As the spine articulates like a snake, a bone or rod could not be an effective supporting tool - as it would defeat the purpose of such a mobile structure. So, our trunk muscles work to stabilize the torso and support the spine. Therefore, working the core musculature with exercises such as the crunch, are fantastically beneficial aside from sculpting our midsection.

Effectively Using the Crunch:

As the trunk muscles are the support structure for the torso they are used in virtually every motion throughout the day. Therefore, you can work simple, non-weight bearing exercises, like the crunch, on a daily basis. Just maintaining the contracted abdomen as often as possible throughout the day will effectively work the abs as well.

If you can not maintain a tight abdomen throughout the exercise, than you might as well not even use it. You want to suck in your stomach, like you're trying on a tight pair of jeans, the entire time you are moving. So the set position for a crunch would be the following:

Lay on the floor, with the knees bent, feet a comfortable distance from your rear. Tilt your pelvis so the lumbar spine (low back) presses into the floor. Tighten your abdomen, to keep the spine in place. Hands behind your head, with the elbows relaxed.

Common Mistakes: