Well-sculpted abdominal muscles take hard work and dedication to acquire and maintain. But you don't need high-tech machines to tone your midsection. Crunches are an effective exercise to tighten the abdominal muscles. Several variations of the crunch allow you to target specific parts of the abs for a complete abdominal workout.
Upper Abdominals
Long-lever crunches target the upper abs and are usually done lying face up on a flat exercise bench. Begin the exercise by placing your feet together and bending the knees. Extend your arms over your head and clasp the hands together. Advanced exercisers often hold a medicine ball or weight above the head to increase the difficulty of this exercise. Slowly lift your shoulders off the bench while tightly clenching the stomach muscles. Move your upper body forward and hold for one second. Repeat the exercise for 10 to 15 repetitions per set.
Lower Abdominals
Reverse crunches target the lower abs. To begin the exercise, lie face up on the floor and lift your legs and feet. Bend your knees until your shins are parallel with the floor and place your arms at your sides. Begin the crunch by contracting the stomach muscles and bringing the shoulders and knees toward each other. Hold the crunch for one second before reversing the motion. Sets containing 10 to 20 repetitions are sufficient.
Oblique Muscles
The oblique muscles run along the side of the abdomen and are difficult to target with traditional crunches. Side lifts are a crunch variation designed to stimulate this difficult area. Lie on your right, place your left hand behind your left ear and bend the elbow. With your legs together and knees bent, bring your left and upper torso toward each other. Try to touch your knee and elbow while contracting the abs. After finishing a set, switch sides and repeat the process.
Swiss Balls
Swiss balls are portable, inexpensive and easy to use. Many crunch variations are enhanced by using the exercise in conjunction with a Swiss ball. The unstable nature of lying on a round ball forces the body to engage more core muscles to help steady the body. Swiss balls maximize each repetition, leading to greater strength and muscle development of the abdominal region.
Member Comments