100 Crunches A Day for Two Weeks

Determinednoob

I don't get what's wrong with this challenge. No where did anyone say that they are doing these crunches to lose fat around their waist. Most people are doing it for fun. I have to laugh at the naysayers when it comes to crunches, those who say they aren't necessary. They ARE necessary! They strengthen your core muscles the ones that hold your body up, keep you erect and the ones that you use all the time! Not only that but a strong core supports your back which will help eliminate injuries.

Crunch on my friends!

Performing core exercise every day might help you burn calories, but you probably won't build more muscle than if you train every other day, and you might experience repetitive stress injuries. Consider spacing out your ab exercises, or performing different exercises each workout if you will be exercising every day. For most people, working your abs two or three times each week is more than enough.

Building Core Muscles
If you want to increase the size of your abs, you'll first need to damage them. Muscle grow larger in response to the repair process that occurs when muscles get damaged. When you feel a burning in your muscles, you are experiencing microtears in the muscle fibers. This triggers a process called hypertrophy, which is the repair process that makes your muscles rebuild and get bigger. Most of this process takes place 24 to 48 hours after you exercise, so leave at least 24 hours between workouts.

Change It Up
To give your muscle more time to repair and recover, perform different exercises if you are going to work your core each day. For example, do sits-ups, crunches, leg lifts and hip raises that have you moving forward and back one day. The next day, work your obliques by using side-to-side exercises, such as Russian twists, bicycle kicks or oblique crunches.

Different Workouts
Varying your workouts can help increase the benefit from daily ab workouts by changing how you use your muscles and to what degree. Create ab workouts using floor exercises, a kettlebell, an ab wheel and a gym ball. Don't use all of these in one workout -- use different equipment and exercises each day. You can use all these exercises in one workout if you are only exercising two or three times per week.

Burning Calories
The best way to build your muscles is to perform your exercises slowly, using resistance on the way up, pausing and holding the lift, then lowering slowly, with muscle. For example, when you do a pull-up or sit-up, you'll get more muscle-building benefit if you slowly lower yourself with muscle, rather than drop back down with gravity. Exercising this way is more difficult and you'll fatigue faster than if you work quicker, with less muscular effort. To burn calories with core exercises, perform them quicker and with less intensity so you can exercise longer and create a greater calorie burn. Less-intense ab workouts might be more appropriate for every day training.

Injury
Working your abs every day can lead to repetitive stress injuries. If you place your hands behind your head when you do sit-ups and crunches, you may start to use your arms to help pull you up as you get tired. This can place a strain on your neck and lower back. The more you perform any type of difficult core exercise, the more you will fatigue and the more likely it is you may perform a compensatory movement to help make the exercise easier. This increases your chance of injury.


http://www.livestrong.com/article/354965-is-it-good-to-work-out-your-abs-every-day/#ixzz25hGMdMPG

That's fine but if you search the forums you will see a lot of people saying that ab exercises are not necessary when they actually are. I'm not talking about calorie burn when it comes to doing crunches rather strengthening the core that holds your body up.

Cause there are so many people around who can't hold their bodies up.

Hey, if you want a back that's not supported because your core is weak then by all means, skip the ab exercises.

I do barbell squats and deadlifts among other barbell lifts as well as ab wheel and weighted lying leg lifts. I'm pretty sure my core is just fine.

uidb5259

What is with this? This site is about people supporting each other to achieve a goal. If you don't want to participate in the 100 crunches a day then don't. No one said you had to. This is a challenge for those of us who do want to participate and we would love to not sift through your negativity to see what other members in the challenge have to say. Thanks!

chroniclesofthinoholic

What is with this? This site is about people supporting each other to achieve a goal. If you don't want to participate in the 100 crunches a day then don't. No one said you had to. This is a challenge for those of us who do want to participate and we would love to not sift through your negativity to see what other members in the challenge have to say. Thanks!

I agree I already feel my 100 crunches a day lost... I mean what is the harm in doing it??... Maybe the other people would be kind to make a "100 squats a day" or something...The fact that i have to do 100 crunches a day makes me go through my daily cardio and strength training ... It helps motivate me to get off the laptop and do my workout...The challenge is merely a motivator... We ALL know it won't give us THE abs..

jennifer52484

Day three completed!! If you don't want to participate in the challenge, you don't have to. There are a million different exercises. I chose crunches this week. Next time I'll choose squats or planks or something else. Be supportive not negative. Crunches may not give you a rock hard mid section but it gets people thinking about a goal. Show support and don't belittle people for their efforts.

jennifer52484

Week one Complete. Hope everyone is meeting their goals!! Good luck!

uidb5259

I admit I missed a few days but will make them up at the end. I have to make up 2.

ClaudiaF77

Done and dusted. Thanks for suggesting this, it's been fun.