The Benefits of Crunches

Not only do they tighten your obliques, crunches help reduce back problems by increasing overall stability and strength. Having a strong core helps you in nearly every movement you make throughout the day, from sitting with good posture to protecting your lower back when lifting groceries.

How To Do Crunches

1. Start by lying on the floor with your back and feet flat on the ground, knees raised.
2. Protect your lower back by keeping it pressed to the ground. To do so, tighten your core muscle and imagine that your navel is pressing down.
3. Raise your shoulders to your hips by pulling your body up, engaging your core muscles.
4. Slowly return back to the starting position, keeping your core engaged the whole time.

Faster isn't better when it comes to crunches. Focus on the movement and keeping your core muscles active, rather than just going through the motions.

The Most Common Crunch Mistakes

Making sure your technique is correct will help you avoid injuries that could set back your workout routine. Being aware of common mistakes can help you learn how to correct your technique so you can get all the possible benefits while avoiding injury.

Here are the three most common crunch mistakes, and how to correct them:

• Lifting your head too high: Looking up towards the ceiling can strain your neck. Instead, keep your head in a neutral position. Imagine holding a tennis ball between your chin and chest, and keep this position.
• Using momentum: Swinging up and down during crunches risks hurting your back and reduces the effectiveness of your workout. Instead, use slow and controlled movements to engage your core muscles and protect your back.
• Holding your breath: Not breathing properly can limit your range of motion and risks dizziness. Follow a breathing pattern of exhaling when you push up and inhaling when you return down to the ground.

Crunches For Beginners

It can take time to build up the strength for crunches, so we recommend trying supporting exercises to build up your strength.

You can build strength for crunches with other exercises from your routine such as Planks, Steam Engines or Quadruplex. These exercises can all be found in Seven and help target the surrounding muscle groups to build a solid foundation for crunches.

Advanced Options

If you feel confident with crunches and you’re ready to push your core fitness to the next level, Crunch Kicks or V Sit Ups are very effective HIIT core exercises that require a significant amount of core strength.

Use the strength you have built from crunches to build up to these exercises slowly. Remember, 3 reps with good technique is better for your fitness than 15 with poor technique.

A Note On Crunches

Crunches come in all shapes and sizes, and can be used to target your obliques or rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle), depending on your movements. For options that engage the obliques (the side part of the abdominals) while tightening and shaping your midsection, try Alternate Heel Touches, Twisting Crunches, Supine Bicycles or Seated Oblique Bends in Seven.

However, while crunches can strengthen your core muscles and tone, there is no way to 'spot tone' fat just from your midsection. A good diet and full body cardio workout will actually be more effective at toning your midsection than crunches alone ever will.

Check out Seven's wide range of core workouts, from beginner routines like Sore Core and Belly Burn to advanced workouts like Abs of Steel and Hard Core. If you're up for a challenge, don't miss the 30 Day Core Challenge, available in the Workouts tab 🔥
 

Find demonstrations of all the mentioned exercises in Seven today