Doing crunches correctly

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AGG115
AGG115 Posts: 62
in Fitness and Exercise
How do I do crunches without putting so much tension in my neck?

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  • pmurray
    pmurray Posts: 1
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    I find if you pick something to focus your eyes on while doing crunches it helps not to strain your neck
  • jennbissonnette
    jennbissonnette Posts: 44
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    Their are so many variations you could try. I personally love the bicycle. You lay on your back and move your legs in the air like your riding a bike. It works all of your abs. Not just the top ones you work with the traditional lay down with hands behind your head. i learned it in pilates. Good luck!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    pick a spot on the ceiling about where your chest is, look at it, and continue looking at it through the crunch. Make sure you engage your abdominal muscles and use them, never tuck your chin, and keep your hands either behind your neck, or crossed on your chest during the exercise.

    Remember, crunches don't need to be large moves. you really don't need to bring your shoulders much more than 4 or 5 inches off the floor for them to be effective.

    Then again, crunches aren't really a great move in general, there are far better core moves than crunches, things that work either more of the core muscle group, or work the upper abs harder.
  • photoman67
    photoman67 Posts: 116 Member
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    Concentrate on using your abs to pull you up and don't pull on your neck with your hands. Exhale when you're doing the crunch and inhale on the way back down.
  • willywonka
    willywonka Posts: 743 Member
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    Banks can you share some easy core moves with us? I'm still working on the midsection :flowerforyou:
    pick a spot on the ceiling about where your chest is, look at it, and continue looking at it through the crunch. Make sure you engage your abdominal muscles and use them, never tuck your chin, and keep your hands either behind your neck, or crossed on your chest during the exercise.

    Remember, crunches don't need to be large moves. you really don't need to bring your shoulders much more than 4 or 5 inches off the floor for them to be effective.

    Then again, crunches aren't really a great move in general, there are far better core moves than crunches, things that work either more of the core muscle group, or work the upper abs harder.
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
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    Lay on a towel with your head centered at the top of it. Grab the corners with your hand and lift.. doing crunch and keep your head laid on the towl.. I loved this idea and it works!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Banks can you share some easy core moves with us? I'm still working on the midsection :flowerforyou:

    easy core....hmmm. I will NOT! :tongue: I'll show you some hard core moves though.

    most of these can be googled.



    swiss ball (exercise ball) crunch, exercise ball plank with toe twist, side plank, Hanging knee raises, horizontal hip raises (straight legged), reverse sit-up.

    ahh, those are a few, there are lots out there. I agree that bicycle crunches are better than regular ones, because they are a compound move and work the upper and lower abs as well as the obliques, but be careful with these to do the full range of motion for each crunch, I.E. raise the shoulders, twist the upper body while pulling the knee in and extending the opposite leg and pointing the toe, return with the upper to a flat position, relax the abs. don't try to do these too fast, or keep your shoulders off the ground while doing these, it's incorrect form and can cause injury at the worst, and does't do much for you anyway.
  • stacyoct19
    stacyoct19 Posts: 187 Member
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    I lock my fingers together and my thumbs are on either side of my neck. I also focus at a spot on the ceiling. Those two things really help a lot. Make sure you breathe out when you pull up. Start out slow for good form, and then you can begin increasing your speed.

    I do agree, there are a lot of other workouts that can give you better results with the abs, but sometimes crunches is a good basic technique!

    Good luck!
  • lulubenmom
    lulubenmom Posts: 45
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    I noticed you've had a baby "recently', so you may want to make sure you don't have a Diastasis Rectus (spelling?) basically separated six pack. I found out a year after giving birth that I have bad separated abs and all the abdominal work i've been doing has been making it worse!! ie it makes your stomach bulge out more!! So even though i've lost lot's of weight, i still look slightly pregnant.

    I've been to see a plastic surgeon that say's only a tummy tuck will fix it, but I'm trying the Tupler Technique which is in the book "Lose your Mummy Tummy" to see if that works. I think it has a little so far. But I sure wish my OB or someone had warned me to be sure I didn't have the diastasis before i did hardcore ab work with heavy weights etc!!!

    Good luck & congrats on your bub :)
  • BamaRose0107
    BamaRose0107 Posts: 635
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    Make sure to keep your elbows away from your ears ( if you lock your fingers behind your neck) and use your ab muscles to pull you up not your arms. I also try to remember to keep my chin up.
  • AGG115
    AGG115 Posts: 62
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    I noticed you've had a baby "recently', so you may want to make sure you don't have a Diastasis Rectus (spelling?) basically separated six pack. I found out a year after giving birth that I have bad separated abs and all the abdominal work i've been doing has been making it worse!! ie it makes your stomach bulge out more!! So even though i've lost lot's of weight, i still look slightly pregnant.

    I've been to see a plastic surgeon that say's only a tummy tuck will fix it, but I'm trying the Tupler Technique which is in the book "Lose your Mummy Tummy" to see if that works. I think it has a little so far. But I sure wish my OB or someone had warned me to be sure I didn't have the diastasis before i did hardcore ab work with heavy weights etc!!!

    Good luck & congrats on your bub :)

    Yeah, I read about however-you-spell-it and I've been doing the Tupler Technique, too. I've got such weak abs because I've been trying not to do anything with them except for that. However, I just recently joined a yoga/pilates class at the gym and various types of crunches are part of the routiene. I just can't seem to keep the pressure out of my neck. I also asked the instructor yesterday and she recommended I visualize pushing my lower back through the floor and bringing my hips off the floor. I think that will help. Thanks, guys!

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