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NEVER DO CRUNCHES LIKE THIS - 10 Most Common Mistakes!

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

m going to show you how to never to crunches and the 10 most common mistakes made when performing this popular ab exercise. It-s said, once you know what you are not supposed to do you can learn what you should do a lot easier. We start off this list of ab workout mistakes with a mindset, a faulty one at that. There is a belief that doing crunches is bad for your back. While I deeply respect the researchers that have dedicated their life to this topic I simply don-t agree with all of the studies that have been intended to validate this claim. Many times, the subjects are not human beings and often times, the extreme cycling of repetitions is applied in an accelerated manner that does not simulate real life applications of crunches or ab workouts. Your spine can regenerate and recover provided it has bouts of relief and decompression. This is not often times occurring in a lab controlled environment. That is not to say that crunches can-t cause low back pain. They absolutely can. This has to do often times with ab workout mistake number two and that is hooking your feet under something when performing your crunches. This will cause over activation of the hip flexors and can lead to low back tightness and spasm. The key to fixing this however is to hook your feet either over something or not at all. Pulling on the neck can also cause pains from crunching. If you want to do this properly, gently place your hands behind your head but do not interlace your fingers. From here, keep looking up to the ceiling rather than forward or down towards your toes. Where you gaze is where you body goes so focus up and your crunches and abs will be better off for it. The fourth big crunch mistake is worrying about how high you lift off the ground every rep. Some will even think that they have to do full sit-ups in order to get benefits for their ab muscles. This isn-t true. In fact, just clearing the shoulder blade off the mat when doing crunches is enough to get full activation of the abs. Breathing is also a big area of contention for those that do crunches improperly. You want to learn how to breathe out while not distending the abdomen during a well executed crunch. With the contraction of the transverse abdominis you will be able to cinch the belly down while exhaling, which will engage the abs but not lead to a protruding belly in the long run. When it comes to the reps you perform in your ab workouts and ab exercises, stop counting them. Instead, make every one count. The way to do this is to once again focus on initiating every lift of the torso with the contraction of the abs. Eliminate momentum and lift only with the work of the rectus abdominis. Pumping away with mini reps is not going to win you any awards and certainly isn-t going to get you six pack abs any faster. The next big mistake is always doing your crunches on your back. Lumbar flexion can be achieved from many other positions. Make sure to include some of the closed chain options that you see in the video to not only mix up your training but to get better abs in the long run. That said, certain exercises (even when done out of a different position) can still be misperformed. The crunch pulldown is one example. Instead of sitting your butt back onto your heels on every rep, make sure to keep your butt in the same position that you start. Crunch only by flexing the spine and getting your elbows down to the floor. Side crunches are another variation that you want to make sure you don-t miss. One of the biggest ab workout mistakes is not doing them. They are great for isolating the obliques and getting a solid contraction of these important waist tapering muscles. Finally, only doing crunches in your ab workouts is not the answer either. Be sure to train the other functions of the ab muscles. Anti-rotation, Anti-flexion, Anti-lateral movements are all things that are the responsibility of the core muscles. Be sure to include them in a complete ab workout. If you want a day by day ab workout generator that will give you more than just crunches, be sure to head to athleanx. com via the link below. Start training like an athlete and build a ripped, athletic body in just the next 90 days
Date: 2022-04-22

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Comments and reviews: 10

Cc_cC
Hi atlean x
-important- (please like so he can see this comment)
Do you have any advices for people with scoliosis ( I have a mild scoliosis.
It-s a subject not many fitness influencers talk about. Do-s and don-ts related to daily life and in the gym. I-ve researched about exercises to do but haven-t found/created a proper workout plan/routine to follow.
There is a lot restrictions for what I can do with my body, the doctor told me not to do deadlift, squad or any other exercise where I stand up. I am really confused on what I should do.
I know there is a lot of other people that have the same problem as me and I think you are the right person to ask.
So can you please make a video about this topic.
If you have time it would be awesome with a workout video with sets and reps. it should focus on being more athletic movement. football(soccer) ( for me it would be better because I practice football 3x a week)
I really hope you understand, and of course I have to say that I really like your informative video and I respect and hope you the best in the future.
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Jeremy
I-m 47 and have put a maniacal focus on health over the last year and have dropped 80 pounds as a result of good nutrition and a daily cardio routine. I-m now 5 9- and weigh 155 lbs. I-ve started substituting cardio for strength training because I-m in serious need of muscle. One thing that has been dogging me is that I still carry substantial belly fat (though I have a strong core and a hidden six pack. Any suggestions for a guy like me that needs to probably lose 10 pounds of belly fat but who is already at their target weight weight? My hope is that my strength training will turn that belly fat into muscle but I-m worried that my dramatic weight loss means I-ll always have a gut due to all the loose skin. I continue to maintain a calorie deficit - is that the right move? Any suggestions welcome.
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Vegard
Love your videos Jeff! I'm definetely at fault of several of these. Time to focus!
I have a friend trying to get me into EMS - Electrical Muscle Stimulation training. I hear a lot of good stuff about it (at least from people earning their money on it, but struggle to find a good objective evaluation of it. I've done some demo classes already, it tires you out like crazy and I've been sore in muscles I didn't even knew I had, but I'm left asking if it is good or bad long-term and in general.
Not sure if this training is getting traction in the States, but it is taking off in Europe, so would love to see your input on it.
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SchuyFit
TEN MOST COMMON MISTAKES:
0: 42 Being on the -crunches suck- bandwagon
1: 45 Hooking your feet under something to do crunches
2: 16 Pulling on your neck
2: 47 Focusing on lifting up rather than -contracting- up
3: 42 Distending your belly while you breathe out during a crunch
4: 38 Counting reps instead of making the reps count
5: 14 Always doing your crunches laying face up
6: 00 Doing crunch pull downs like in the video
6: 46 Forgetting to include side crunches
7: 42 You're only doing crunches to work your abs
Very helpful vid!
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Bartosz
Jeff should come to polish elementary school and take a look at what PE teachers show to kids here. it's blasphemy, what they teach the kids! It's like they would on purpose took out every mistake Jeff mentioned and put them into theirs teaching.
Hooking up feet under bar? Check
Pulling on neck? Check
Going for as many reps as possible on time? Check
Going to far high in no form in between? Check
Do most people here have problems with back? Check xD
Thank You Jeff for sharing your wisdom! At least once I have kids, they'll be healthy.
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Steve
I always love how in depth you go, I certainly enjoyed this. One piece of feedback I have is that, at the end of these -mistakes to avoid- videos, I'd love to see you do the exercise yourself and point out all the right things that you're doing. Sometimes it's a bit much to remember 10 mistakes, it would help me a lot if you ended these types of videos with the correct form and explaining, point by point, why it's the correct form. Thanks for putting this out so frequently, it's helped me immensely.
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Poems
2mins in and you see what you get for your money (i. e. gratis) with AthleanX: knowledge, experience and articulateness - such a simple, slight change with feet placement and the stress on a certain body part is shifted whilst keeping the essence of the exercise's benefits the same. This is why you have to strip down ANY of Jeff's detractors' criticisms instead of taking them to heart. I had to edify Jonni Shreeve the other day when he dissed one of AthleanX's videos and 100% got his facts wrong
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Chandler
I-m in week 6 of AX-1 and I-ve done the ab shuffle every single day and now have extremely strong abs that are very easy to see besides a little bit of belly near the belly button but I-m eating right and it-s absolutely paying off I don-t see how I could ever go back to eating like crap I really enjoy cooking and eating right due to this program. So I guess what I-m saying is the ab shuffle is awesome and it absolutely works if you really want to look like an athlete
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David
Don't cheat yourself.
All the way up with a twist at the end. Get well defined muscles by using the WHOLE stroke. Don't be that guy with weird looking abs.
DON'T be scared to do a setup. Been doing them with feet UNDER something fir at least 40 years. No pain EVER. WHILE YOUR DOWN THERE MIGHT AS WELL NOCK OUT SOME LEG RAISES. RAISE AND HOLD AS LONG AS YOU CAN ABOUT 4 INCHES OFF THE GROUND.
NOW START BUILDING.
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Farm
Ok, I thought I might see it here but I didnt.
What about crunches where you put yourself in a groin Stretch position with both feet touching flat foot to flat foot and both knees as. close to the ground as possible. Put the lightest dumb bell aCross your feet and TRY to do sit ups
The idea is to completely take the hip flexors out of the equation and just rely on abs to do the work.
Thoughts?
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