The world of crunches: Defining your abdominals
by The Icon Diet Reader
zone3
So there I was, a gangly, ungainly guy standing in a giant aerobics
studio surrounded by mirrors. Next to me on the floor was a fitness ball.
I had never used a fitness ball, in fact I had never even heard of a
fitness ball. None the less, there I was. My work out partner, in far
better shape then I, was going to show me how to use the ball to make my
ab routine more excruciatingly effective.
The whole premise of this heightened routine was to center around the
crunch. For those of you who don't know what a crunch is, a crunch is like
doing a sit up without actually sitting up. In fact, the whole motion of a
crunch is to keep your abs constantly flexed. I had always thought that
crunches were like doing push ups on you knees – a bit of a cop out. I was
wrong.
The thing about your abs is that unlike other muscle groups
they can take a lot. When you work your abs, it takes a lot to get them
going. What is really different about abs is that they bulge in their
relaxed state and are stretched thin when flexed. Think about your leg
muscles for a second. Your quads bulge when you flex them. Abs are the
other way around.
Getting myself on to the fitness ball was an
exercise in patients. Having never used one before, it was awkward and it
felt really odd. This is due in part to my rather uncoordinated nature,
and yes I am a horrible dancer. What really made it difficult for me to
position myself correctly on the ball was the fact the I was laughing
hysterically. Being in the aerobics studio surrounded by mirrors, gave me
multiple angles from which to watch my floundering.
Abs are
largely responsible for holding you up. They are part of what is known as
your core. Your core is what keeps you stable when standing, allows your
body to twist at the waist, rise after bending over, and remain, well,
upright. While there are other muscle groups involved with your core, abs
have a special place in the eyes of the world. Defined abs are a sought
after symbol of good health and fine physique.
For the average
person, getting setup on the ball, in proper position for crunches, is a
relatively easy affair. It merely involves resting your hips and lower
back on the ball while planting your feet squarely on the floor. It's like
slouching in a chair that has no back. Like I said, really no big deal –
unless your me.
I finally nailed the proper setup and once the
laughter subsided, I was ready to start. Like all exercises, form is
critical. Crunches require very little motion. To begin, lean back as far
as your balance allows. Place your hands on your temples with your elbows
out. Focus on pushing your lower back into the ball and using your abs
pull your shoulders up. In very real terms, you should only be raising
your shoulders up about four inches. At the top of the crunch. Hold it for
a two count and slowly let yourself back down slowly without disengaging
your abs. Repeat. It's really a simple and effective exercise.
In
my case, now firmly set up on the ball, I went at the crunches with gusto.
Crunched until I simply could crunch no more. It is here that I would like
to point out that you need not do this. You should work your abs in sets
as with any other muscle baring in mind that you should do more then your
average set. Aim for about three sets of fifty and go from there.
In my case, I woke up the next day smiling to myself about the
difficulty I had getting used to the fitness ball, after all, it really
was easy once I got the hang of it. I smiled as I recalled my impressive
display of abdominal endurance. I smiled, and smiled right up until the
time I tried to sit up.
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