Exercises to develop the abdominals: crunch

Crunches are one of the principal exercises to develop the abdominals. Here the advices to do them well.

The ground crunch is undoubtedly one of the most popular, though not necessarily the most functional, ab exercises performed in the gym. This exercise can be done both in the gym and comfortably at home. Crunches are one of the exercises to develop the abdominals.

The crunch

Wide hips and a soft belly? Goodbye. With the crunch any person will be able to get the abs they have always dreamed of. It is a type of exercises that hardly train the abdominals which, as is known, are the sore point of most people who want to keep fit. Most personal trainers argue, with good reason, that the best way to train your abs is to perform exercises that involve high movement of the lower body.

To have sculpted abs you should train them at least 3 times a week. During these sessions you will have to perform very different exercises: horizontal, vertical and oblique abdominals. The easiest way to do the crunch is certainly that of the bicycle but you can also do the simple and the reverse, which however require greater physical strength and more effort.

How to do the reverse crunch

The reverse crunch is great for the transverse abdominals and the rectum. Here’s how you can do it at home:

• Lie on the floor in the standard crunch position. Place your hands next to your body or under your butt for support
• Lift your feet and cross them at the ankles. Squeeze your abs, pull your knees towards your chest, slowly put them back down until your feet almost touch the floor and repeat

Crunches to develop the abdominals: advices

There are some useful tips for all people who want to have sculpted abs. Here are the main ones:

• When you start doing the exercises it is always recommended to breathe deeply. In this way you will also be able to activate the deeper abdominals that are usually not trained.
• It is always advisable to do a few workouts but done well, rather than many but not performed correctly.
• When performing the crunch exercise, it must be done slowly. To do this correctly you must be able to rest your back on the floor without throwing yourself on the ground with excessive enthusiasm.
• If you keep your bust contracted during these exercises, your oblique abdominals will also be activated.
• Never look around while doing crunches. Always fix a fixed point on the ceiling. This will help reduce possible neck problems.
• You must always try to maintain a fixed distance between your chin and the sternum throughout the exercise.