Exercise Ball Crunches
Description
Exercise ball crunches are a great alternative for trainees who suffer from low back problems. Using the exercise ball also increases the need for stability which makes the movement more functional when translated to everyday activities. As with any other abdominal exercise, it is important to initiate the movement by executing what’s known as an abdominal set.
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Execution
- From an upright seated position on the ball, step out and lean back until your lower back is comfortably supported by the exercise ball. Initiate abdominal set.
- Exhale and flex at the hips until a contraction is felt within the abdominals. Briefly hold this contracted position before releasing.
- Inhale and lower back down to starting position at a controlled speed.
- Repeat until desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
Narrowing the foot stance while performing exercise ball crunches will decrease the base of support and increase the muscle recruitment needed for stabilization.
Performing exercise ball crunches with your arms in an extended position behind your head will manipulate the movement biomechanics and increase the difficulty of the exercise.
Tying a resist-a-band to a nearby pole and gripping the handles at chest level while performing exercise ball crunches will increase the resistance, thus increase the difficulty of the exercise.
You can target your obliques (sides) by twisting your body to the side to finish off each repetition.
V-Crunch
Description
This exercise, which can be done anywhere, is very effective because it simultaneously trains both the upper and lower regions of the abdominals. Since the movement requires the trainee to stabilize themselves, the deep intrinsic muscles within the core are recruited. Also, remember to perform an abdominal set prior to execution.
Execution
- While seated in an upright position on either the floor, a mat or a flat bench, bend your legs and slightly lean back. You should feel a contraction within the abdominals.
- While keeping knees slightly bent, elevate heels a few inches off the ground/bench.
- Exhale and simultaneously draw your knees and chest towards each other.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower back to the position mentioned in step 2.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
To increase the difficulty of the exercise, you can replace the stable surface of the floor/bench with an unstable surface such as a bosu balance trainer.
Decline Crunches
Description
Decline crunches are a great exercise to tone the abdominal region. Decline crunches are slightly more difficult than the traditional versions in which the crunch is performed on a flat surface. Other great benefits associated with decline crunches are all the variations that can be utilized to make the exercise either easier or more difficult. More detail on implementing these techniques can be found below.
Note: Before performing decline crunches, you want to make sure that you perform an “abdominal set”. Check out our abdominal training article for more information.
Execution
- Hook feet under the pads and set the abdominal muscles by drawing the navel towards the spine and slightly rotating the pelvis forward.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower yourself down to an angle that is comfortable, yet stresses the abdominal region. You may find that if you lower yourself down too far, back pain will ensue.
- Exhale and crunch upwards bringing the elbows to the knees. Briefly hold this finishing position.
- Repeat until desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
Getting your partner to wrap a towel around the upper chest and pull down slightly will add resistance and increase the difficulty.
Difficulty can also be increased by holding a weight in hands with arms extended at a 45degree angle.
Slightly easier than holding the weight at a 45 degree angle would be to hold the weight across the chest.
Rotating and drawing your elbow to its opposing knee will effectively recruit the oblique muscles.