Neck/Head Issues With Ab Exercises

mszSHOGAN
mszSHOGAN Posts: 2,277 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone else have trouble NOT straining their neck when doing ab exercises on the floor??? And it seems like the harder I try not to strain it, I end up making it worse.

Also, I'm getting conflicting messages in my workout DVDs about the proper position of your chin to prevent strain. In Billy Blanks' Insane Abs he repeatedly says to tuck your chin into your chest. Then in Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred she says to keep your chin/eyes up to the cieling. I mean, which one is better? Or does it not matter and you should do what feels best? Personally, neither one feels better than the other to me :ohwell:

If anyone else has experienced this and found a way to not strain your neck as much, PLEASE SHARE! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • LoopyLaura68
    LoopyLaura68 Posts: 76 Member
    i get this too when doing them,on the workout dvd i'm doing the trainer says to tuck your chin into the chest slightly.i've tried doing them both ways & find either way still hurts.was thinking is it just because i'm a beginner or is there a right way to do them :huh:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Don't clasp your fingers behind your head. Just touch your fingertips to you the sides of your ears. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP and eyes on the ceiling as Jillian says. I also train my clients this way. If you can't keep your hands on your head, the cross your hands over your chest, but focus on keeping your chin up.
    Neck and head issues happen because people "pull" with their hands on their neck to complete a crunch.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mszSHOGAN
    mszSHOGAN Posts: 2,277 Member
    Don't clasp your fingers behind your head. Just touch your fingertips to you the sides of your ears. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP and eyes on the ceiling as Jillian says. I also train my clients this way. If you can't keep your hands on your head, the cross your hands over your chest, but focus on keeping your chin up.
    Neck and head issues happen because people "pull" with their hands on their neck to complete a crunch.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I should have mentioned that I don't clasp my hands behind my head, and the strain isn't from pulling on my head/neck. I'll have my fingertips touching my head (by my ears) but it's like all the muscles in my neck get super tight and it feels like I'm working them more than my ab muscles. Any tips on this? (Sorry for not being clearer)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Don't clasp your fingers behind your head. Just touch your fingertips to you the sides of your ears. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP and eyes on the ceiling as Jillian says. I also train my clients this way. If you can't keep your hands on your head, the cross your hands over your chest, but focus on keeping your chin up.
    Neck and head issues happen because people "pull" with their hands on their neck to complete a crunch.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I should have mentioned that I don't clasp my hands behind my head, and the strain isn't from pulling on my head/neck. I'll have my fingertips touching my head (by my ears) but it's like all the muscles in my neck get super tight and it feels like I'm working them more than my ab muscles. Any tips on this? (Sorry for not being clearer)
    Then it's possible you're just trying to lift your head up off the floor and not really engaging your abs to do it. It's basically doing the same thing as clasping your hands without clasping.
    Try a small lift first to see if you're engaging your abs. Your back should be pressed down into the floor and you should feel a definite tightening of the abs when you just start to lift.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • RianneMulder
    RianneMulder Posts: 16
    I support my head with my hands above my neck, if I put my hands to the side of my head, I feel I'm asking too much of the muscles in my neck. Our Bodypump instructress (is that a word?) always says that you should try to keep a straight line from your back to the top of your head. If you put your chin to your chest, you're overstretching the muscles in your neck, causing them to eventually get longer.
  • mszSHOGAN
    mszSHOGAN Posts: 2,277 Member
    Yeah, I think that is my problem. When I try to correct it though, and engage my abs more, that's when I seem to tighten my neck even more! Talk about defeating my purpose....:grumble: I've attributed this to my ab muscles being so weak from lack of exercise and 3 big babies stretching them out - but maybe I'm way off.

    Anything you recommend to people, like myself, who have this problem? Anything I can alter to focus the concentration on where it needs to be?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Try doing more static core exercises like planks and side planks until you build up the strength to do crunches with good form.
  • Jaded_GRL
    Jaded_GRL Posts: 42
    I did leg raises, knee raises (seated on bench of laying flat on the floor) to work abs without moving my head/neck after a car accident
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    Don't clasp your fingers behind your head. Just touch your fingertips to you the sides of your ears. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP and eyes on the ceiling as Jillian says. I also train my clients this way. If you can't keep your hands on your head, the cross your hands over your chest, but focus on keeping your chin up.
    Neck and head issues happen because people "pull" with their hands on their neck to complete a crunch.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I should have mentioned that I don't clasp my hands behind my head, and the strain isn't from pulling on my head/neck. I'll have my fingertips touching my head (by my ears) but it's like all the muscles in my neck get super tight and it feels like I'm working them more than my ab muscles. Any tips on this? (Sorry for not being clearer)
    Then it's possible you're just trying to lift your head up off the floor and not really engaging your abs to do it. It's basically doing the same thing as clasping your hands without clasping.
    Try a small lift first to see if you're engaging your abs. Your back should be pressed down into the floor and you should feel a definite tightening of the abs when you just start to lift.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I'd go with this. Do a crunch but don't make them too big, just lift your shoulders off the floor enough to engage the abs. Focus on feeling the abs contract but with not going so high as a sit up you might not strain your neck as much. Do you try to sit all the way up now or do crunches and still get all the strain in the neck?
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    Maybe if you focus on keeping your back straight instead of rounding it might help?
  • mszSHOGAN
    mszSHOGAN Posts: 2,277 Member
    I'm referring to doing crunches, and not sit-ups.

    I started doing the Insane Abs DVD so I can strengthen my core more, and I have noticed some improvement in just the little amount of time I've been doing it. Through strengthening my abs a bit more I've noticed not as much of a strain I put on my neck, I guess I just need to stick with it and *hopefully* I'll be bad @ss enough to not bring my neck to the party. :tongue:

    I was just curious if others had this issue/if there was any advice anyone had. Thanks everyone! :flowerforyou:
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    You are not alone. :smile:

    I use my neck too much in many strength moves, I just have to be conscious about it. It's usually when I've done too much or my form is failing...and then I'm not really working the right muscles anyway.
  • emma_x_smith
    emma_x_smith Posts: 1
    My gym buddie and I also had this issue. We have a personal trainer and he showed us that if u use a bar (door bar perhaps) to tuck your toes under it helps. We have been doing crunches on a bench at the Gym and tucking our toes under the bar thats connected to the bench and I have not had any issues since. Might be worth a go or if you have a low bed or settee or something that you can get your feet under try that.

    Hope that makes sense x
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    My gym buddie and I also had this issue. We have a personal trainer and he showed us that if u use a bar (door bar perhaps) to tuck your toes under it helps. We have been doing crunches on a bench at the Gym and tucking our toes under the bar thats connected to the bench and I have not had any issues since. Might be worth a go or if you have a low bed or settee or something that you can get your feet under try that.

    Hope that makes sense x
    Having your feet held down engages more hip flexor movement and takes away from ab work.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • pbl1966
    pbl1966 Posts: 207 Member
    May not work for what you are doing but my pilates instructor had me put a foam roller under my neck to put it in the correct position for ab work without the strain on the neck.

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