Types of Crunches

A lot of us have a sedentary lifestyle, which causes us to pile on weight in the abdominal area. Truth be told, fighting abdominal fat is not the easiest thing to do. However, with crunches, achieving the goal is certainly possible.

With this exercise, the rectus abdominis muscle of the stomach is worked upon. The most important thing is to know how to do the exercise and also know the various versions which you can use to achieve those washboard abs.

You may come across people who say that this exercise is not of much help in fighting belly fat. There is a possibility that they are not using the right techniques to do these core exercises. We will see the steps to do them properly, thereby, reaping the benefits of this exercise.

This is the most basic form of crunches. To do this exercise, lie with your back on the exercise mat. Bend your knees, and place your feet firmly on the floor. Interlace your fingers, and place them behind your head so that the neck is supported.

Exhale as you lift your shoulders off the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds, before you come down to the starting position, but make it a point that you do not rest on the floor. Make it a point not to push your neck towards the knees.

Remember, we are working the abdominal muscles, and not the neck muscles. This exercise can be repeated 12 to 15 times per set. You can use the exercise ball to do crunches. If they are done using a ball, they are called ball crunches.

This type is also called side crunches. To do them, lie with your back on the floor. Bend your knees, and keep your feet firmly on the floor. Place the ankle of the right leg on the left knee; however, you can do without this as well. Interlace your fingers, and place the hands behind your head to support your neck.

Lift your shoulders off the floor, twist to the right, and try to touch the left elbow to the right knee. Slowly, come back and repeat the same on the other side as well. This love handle exercise should be repeated on either side 12 to 15 times.

This abdominal exercise works the lower abdominal region. Hence, it should be a part of the exercise routine. To do this exercise, lie on the floor with feet placed on the floor. Place the hands on the floor, but do not place them under the buttocks, as it compromises the exercise pose.

Lift your feet off the floor and bring the knees closer to your chest, till they are bent at a 90 degrees angle. Slowly, contract your abs, and lift your hips off the floor, as though you are trying to reach the legs towards the sky. Slowly, come back to the starting position, and repeat the exercise.

This exercise is known to work wonders. It works both the lower as well as upper abdominal muscles. Lie with your back on the floor and legs extended up in the air. Interlace your fingers, and place your hands behind your neck.

Contract your abdominal muscles, and lift your shoulders off the floor. When you come up, make sure the legs are extended out straight, and do not move. Finally, you will make a 'U' position with your body. Hold the position for a few seconds, before you release it.

Lie down straight on your back, and place your arms above your head. Curl your body such that you lift your upper body. While lifting your upper body, your feet and arms should be straight at any time. Get back to the starting position, and repeat. Going upwards fast and coming back to the ground slowly helps in working out your abs.

If you want to add intensity to the exercise, you can do them using the stability ball. While doing the stability ball exercises, you will have to take care that you maintain the right position. Doing them under a personal trainer will avoid any chances of injury.

Remember to do some warm-up exercises before you begin with the exercises. At the same time, cooling down is equally important after you have finished your exercise routine.