How To Do Long Arm Crunches Video

Lift and lower your way to firmer abs. Learn exercises and stretches for your workout routine in this fitness video.

Take Action

Take arms over your head
Avoid tightening neck and jaw
Can support head with towel

About this Author

Amy McCauley has been a certified personal fitness trainer since 1995. She specializes in pilates, combat cardio, core conditioning and overall strength training. She works with clients ranging in age from 16 - 69. She has worked at Gold's Gym in Wilmington, NC since 2006. She loves her job because it gives her the opportunity to change peoples' lives in a positive way.

AMY MCCAULEY: Hi. I'm going to show you how to do a long-arm crunch. You relax all the way down the mat. Take your arms above your head. You're going to place one hand on top of the other, and then you're going to gently press the forearms into your head. Supporting the head, lift up, hold and then lower. What will arms out does is it adds just a little bit more body weight, so it makes a little bit more challenging as you're lifting, this is as if you were to have a dumbbell on your hands. You're going to exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. We are working the center of our stomach, rectus abdominis. You're going to avoid tightening your neck or your jaw. Exhale as you lift and then inhale as you lower. Same thing goes here. The chin needs to be slightly lifted off the chest. The arms are nice and long. Shoulders need to be down the spine. Try to avoid choking your neck. Just place your elbows right under your head and slowly lift and lower. Do reps to fatigue. If you've just begun, it's 8 to 12 reps. If you've been working out for a while, I want you to continue on as many as you comfortably can. As this puts a lot of pressure on your neck, you can take a towel and support it on the back of your head and lift straight up and down, preferably taking the arms out, long-arm stretch, and lift. And that is how you do your long-arm stretch.

How to Do Long Arm Crunches Video

Take Action

About this Author

Member Comments