How to Do the Perfect Crunch

Friends! Let me ask you…

– Is this your first visit to your local gym?

– Do you recall with relief those flashy TV ads of people working on those

most recent machines?

– How many people are lying on the floor?

Maybe you’ve arrived here in despair after you caught your pretty wife eyeing more of your new neighbor lately. Your own waist “love handles” are no match for his – he has a torso like “Johnny Weismuller” and he yells like the great Tarzan, himself. You reckon you now have a way out and are determined to give it a try. Well, if you really are, then watch it brother. In your haste to slim down your waistline you too could get carried away by some of the wrong notions about abdominal training. Before you jump aboard the bandwagon yourself, here are a few facts that you should know about and follow…

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* No machine or exercise will produce the desired result if it focuses only on building the ‘abs’ and yet do nothing about developing the central body or core. Pay close attention to, like for instance , the muscles of the back. Omitting the core will only result in muscle imbalance and may even leave you injured.

* Remove first the fat surrounding the waist. This cannot be achieved by exercise alone. Cultivate a diet regimen of reduced calories consisting of rich balanced foods that include whole wheat, green vegetables and fresh fruits. Go easy on sugar and soda.

* Other than doing the abdominal crunches, exercise at least 3 times a week. Do walking, running, swimming or anything that will quicken the heart rate and speed up the metabolism to burn the extra calories.

* Any abdominal routine should begin first with its fundamentals – the crunch. This simple exercise is sometimes called as the “curl-up” that develops mainly the “rectus abdominis,” the main abdominal muscle. Some people consider doing the curl-up safer than doing “sit-ups.”

* How do you do the perfect crunch? The crunch is one of the most popular abdominal exercises, yet so many people go about a crunch all wrong. Is there a proper form for doing it? Here’s more…

Proper form for the crunch is by…

* Begin by lying on the floor, back down, face up.

* Clasp both hands placed behind the neck. Do not exert force on the neck as this will only cause injury.

* Pull your stomach muscles inside (Like squeezing a wet sponge)

* Slowly curl your shoulder blades towards the pelvis. At the end of the movement, contract the stomach as hard as you can. Hold on for a few seconds and then exhale.

* Inhale and slowly lower the back down on the floor.

* Relax a little and repeat. Do not jerk, keep it smooth. Remember the catchword on the neon sign ” Contraction ” and “Burn fat.”

* Do this 2-3 times a week. Do 4 sets of 20 – 25 slow repetitions.

Take time to master the basic crunch and you are on your way. Reverse crunches, barbell twists and machines can all follow soon. Don’t waste time by falling prey to all the myths and hoaxes about abdominal muscle training, spot reducing, repetitions and sit-ups, all floating around the gym to mislead you. Train intelligently and you’ll gain more in the end. Your ” six-pack abs” will then be the envy of everyone around you including your neighbor and your precious wife. It might even surprise you.