What is crunches

What are they? We've got the scoop. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. What are the pros and cons of doing crunches? How to do a basic crunch. Share on Pinterest. How to do a bicycle crunch. Is there a safer way to do a crunch? Other exercises to try. Supine toe tap. Bird dog. Mountain climber. Side plank rotation. The bottom line.

Read this next. Situps vs. The 5 Best Ab Exercises for Women. Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. The 10 Best Running Shorts for Women for The 7 Best Manual Treadmills for Home. What Is a Weightlifting Superset? Crunches build up the abdominal muscles over time, but can cause significant back pain for beginners. Both situps and crunches are helpful for strengthening and developing core muscle. Over time, a stronger core can also improve your posture and reduce your risk of back injuries later in life.

However, neither exercise burns fat. The only way to attain a flat and muscular stomach is to combine these exercises with a healthy, low-calorie diet and regular fat-burning aerobic exercise. If you want to strengthen your stomach, go beyond crunches. These five exercises were designed to work all….

Some people believe that ab exercises like crunches and sit-ups can help you burn belly fat. But do they actually work? Looking to get your midsection swimsuit-ready? These five moves will tighten up your core and boost your confidence. Few of us have the flat stomach of our dreams. These six low-impact pool exercises can help you tone and strengthen your core muscles. How do you spot a friend lifting weights? Here's the basic spotting technique for common exercises, as well as tips to keep your workout safe and….

Pelvic floor exercises are important, no matter your gender Use your arms to keep your balance and maintain control. Lift your hips and tailbone off of the mat. Inhale, then exhale as you slowly raise your hips. Bring your knees toward your head, and keep them bent at 90 degree angles.

Once your tailbone is off of the floor, hold the position for 1 to 2 seconds. Focus on letting your core muscles do the work. Lower your hips to the floor with a controlled motion. Inhale as you slowly and smoothly bring your hips back to the floor. Keep your knees bent at 90 degree angles, and position them directly over your hips. Pause in this position for a moment, then lift your hips again to perform another rep.

Method 3. Target your obliques with side crunches. Lie on your back with your knees bent, then lower both legs to the mat on your left side.

Place your hands over your chest or behind your head, then raise your upper back off of the mat using the same techniques as a regular crunch. Try overhead crunches to increase difficulty. Keep your arms extended as you raise your upper back using the same techniques as a standard crunch.

For an even greater challenge, you could hold a plate weight or kettlebell in your hands. Add bicycle crunches to your ab workout. Start on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise your left leg toward your chest, and extend your right leg straight, as if you were pedaling a bike. Place your fingertips behind your head, lift your upper back off of the mat, and rotate your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee.

At the same time, rotate your torso to bring your left elbow toward your right knee. Continue to pedal and rotate to complete 12 reps for each side. Mix up your routine with cable crunches.

Kneel below a cable pulley with handle attachments. Exhale, and keep your hips stationary as you contract your abs, curl your back, and bring your elbows toward your thighs. Remember to use smooth, controlled motions. Keep your neck neutral instead of tucking in your chin. Remember to keep an apple-sized space between your chin and chest. Crunch Variations. Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer. Michele Dolan. No, crunches will strengthen some of your abdominal muscles.

At best, they will help hold your tummy in a bit tighter. We cannot target fat loss. Fat loss will happen from all over your body. Not Helpful 5 Helpful You should exhale as you curl forward and inhale as you lower your torso back down.

Not Helpful 0 Helpful Although it is unlikely in a healthy person to herniate a disc using the force of just your own body weight, this exercise is to be avoided if there are any concerns about herniating a disc.

This exercise will very likely aggravate a herniated disc. Not Helpful 22 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. The best time to exercise your abs is at the end of your workout. Wearing out your core muscles at the start of your exercise routine can increase your risk of getting injured.

Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0. If you're trying to build a 6 pack, keep in mind working out is only half the battle. You'll need to maintain a healthy diet to fuel your muscles and burn fat deposits.

Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1. Include a variety of ab exercises in your routine. For instance, include multiple crunch variations in your workout instead of just trying to do standard crunches. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0.