How to do the perfect crunches
By JENNIFER VOGELSONG
For Smart
Whether you prefer lifting weights, spinning or swimming, nearly everyone attempts a few crunches at some point in a workout.
But are you crunching correctly?
Fitness experts warn that attempting crunches the wrong way could lead to backaches, muscle cramps or other problems. Plus, if you don't do them right, you won't see results.
First of all, if you're still doing sit-ups, stop. There's a reason why people do crunches now instead.
Traditional sit-ups can pull at the lower back and neck muscles, or even kick the hip flexors into action when the abs are what you want to feel working.
Lynn Merges, a personal fitness trainer at Gold's Gym in York, says she tells her clients to focus on the area they want to work.
" 'Mind in the muscle,' I always say."
A. Lie down with your back flat to the floor.
B. Elevate your feet so your knees are at a 90-degree angle to your body.
C. Cross your hands in front of your chest or put your hands behind your head, but with the fingertips lightly touching the head, not clasping the head or neck.
D. Make sure there is a fist's worth of space between your chin and chest.
E. Draw your belly button in to the base of your spine.
F. Sit up until your elbows or chest reach your knees. Be careful to use abdominal rather than back, leg or neck muscles.
G. Exhale as you sit up. Inhale as you lie down.
Common mistakes1. Holding your breath.
Merges says your breathing technique while doing crunches is vital. "You need the oxygen to circulate through the blood and go to the muscle," she says. "If you're holding your breath, you could get cramps or get tired quicker and you don't want that."2. Going too fast.
Abdominal exercises should be done in a steady, gradual manner with slow and controlled movements that are never jerky.3. Using leg, back or neck muscles to pull you up.
"All the pull should come from the abdominals, not the neck," Merges says. "If your belly button is down, you're going to be pulling from the abdominals."
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