Core training tones your abs, back and hips, and offers a number of benefits, including increased performance in sports or everyday activities and a reduced risk of injury. Infomercial promoters want you to believe that their brand of ab equipment is the key to getting that sculpted midsection, but the humble stomach crunch remains the benchmark by which other stomach exercises are measured. Best of all, you can do stomach crunches with no equipment beyond an exercise or yoga mat for padding on hard floors.
Step 1
Lie down on the floor or, if you're exercising on thin carpeting or hard flooring, use an exercise mat. Bend both knees and plant your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2
Take a deep breath and press your lower back into the floor, then relax -- your lower back should arch slightly. For most people, this is "neutral" position, or the starting posture for most exercises.
Step 3
Place your hands to either side of your head, or cross them on your chest. Avoid putting your hands behind your head, if you can, because you don't want to tug on your head and neck while doing crunches.
Step 4
Exhale and squeeze your stomach muscles, flexing your spine. Think of bringing your lower ribs closer to the crest or your pelvis. Your shoulders should come off the floor slightly.
Step 5
Hold the "up" position for a moment to ensure you're using muscle power, not momentum, to power your movement. Then inhale and relax back to the starting position, without completely relaxing the muscular tension in your abs.
Step 6
Continue doing crunches. If you're doing them correctly, completing a single set of 10 to 25 repetitions should be a challenge.
Tips and Warnings
- If doing a single set with good form isn't a challenge, try a more difficult variation on the stomach crunch. For example, extend both arms straight overhead, parallel to the floor, during the exercise. This increases the lever length of your torso and makes the crunches significantly more challenging. If you can still easily complete a full set of 25, try holding a small weight plate or medicine ball straight over your chest as you crunch.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise or yoga mat
References
- ACE Fitness Matters; New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises; Mark Anders; May/June 2001
- American Council on Exercise; Should I Train My Abdominals Every Day? Also, What Ab Exercises Are Best?; Jessica Matthews; September 2010
- Mayo Clinic; Core Exercises: 7 Reasons to Strengthen Your Core Muscles; October 2009
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