Crunches

Newbie · 06-01-2006, 01:13 PM

I can do more than the 20 crunches that the exercise calls for. Should I do more reps than 20 or hug enough plate so that 20 is all I can do per set?

Mountain_marc · 06-01-2006, 01:21 PM

Hug the plate!!

That's what I did.

eastcoastsurfer · 06-01-2006, 02:39 PM

Hug a plate or hold it over your head or get on an incline or all of the above :p

Newbie · 06-01-2006, 02:54 PM

Thanks guys. Will do. Just wanted to get it right.

Maybe I'll do the medicine ball against the wall catch thing. That looks like fun.

Newbie · 06-13-2006, 07:55 AM

I tried holding a 25LB. plate against my chest while doing cruches and still don't feel like I'm getting enough work on them. Maybe I should try a 45LB. plate or hold it over my head instead of on my chest?

Maybe I really do have washboard abs under this large washing machine?

GG300 · 06-13-2006, 08:07 AM

If you have a Bosu trainer at your gym try doing your crunches on that. Make sure you are keeping your hips up and and your ab's contracted throughout the excercise. If it's still to easy than add weight.

eastcoastsurfer · 06-13-2006, 08:12 AM

Or try getting onto a decline. Just having your hips a few inches above the horizontal plane can make crunches much more challenging.

steelerfan · 06-13-2006, 08:18 AM

I assume you are doing them on a swiss ball.. I like using a low cable with a rope handle. Hold ends of rope in each hand and behind the head and crunch up. I just feel this gives better resistence through out the movement..

Newbie · 06-13-2006, 08:35 AM

Yes, I am using a swiss ball. I like the idea of the rope. I was thinking of doing the same thing with a medicine ball. Do you think the rope would be better?

steelerfan · 06-13-2006, 12:40 PM

Yeah, I have used the medcine ball and DB's before but it just seems that the weight is more consistant through out the movement with the rope and cable. That being said I also like reverse crunches on the incline with a medicine ball between knees for added weight...

Iamjennmedic · 06-13-2006, 06:03 PM

I use a db with my crunches and reverse crunches. When it gets too easy I bump it up 5-10lbs. That way you aren't limited to how high you can go. The rope crunches sound interesting, will have to give that a try!

eastcoastsurfer · 06-14-2006, 09:35 AM

The cool thing with crunches (or most ab exercises for that matter) is that there are a million different ways to do them. I usually don't figure out exactly what I'm going to do for my abs until right when I do it

ambar · 06-15-2006, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie

I tried holding a 25LB. plate against my chest while doing cruches and still don't feel like I'm getting enough work on them. Maybe I should try a 45LB. plate or hold it over my head instead of on my chest?

I worked up to a 25lb plate against the chest, then yesterday switched to a 5lb plate held over the head (elbows locked). My abs are sore now.

I do have to be careful not to get the momentum going by swinging my arms. If I visualize gluing my ears to my arms, that seems to work.

Newbie · 06-23-2006, 06:41 AM

Just to follow up: I last did my crunches holding an 8 lb. medicine ball over my head with elbows locked, as Ambar suggested. That did the trick. Boy!, are my abs sore now. I can no longer say that I don't think my abs are getting worked enough. Thanks for the tips everyone.