Longevity is not necessarily the best measure of greatness. Just because many people keep doing something doesn’t mean you should too. Take him for one of the most common exercises in the weight room, such as crunches.
This ubiquitous core training staple has been passed down from commercial gym to gym. But all that effort probably falls short. Crunches are not good exercise.
Now that we know better, the road to a six pack isn’t this overrated exercise, regardless of how many reps you think you can crunch. men’s health Fitness Directors Ebenezer Samuel (CSCS) and Mathew Forzaglia (NFPT, CPT) are the founders of Forzag Fitness.
“Ab Crunch is not worth it,” says Samuel. “The truth is, fitness moved away from ab crunches a long time ago because it’s not a very good way to work your abs.”
Why you shouldn’t do crunches
Here are three reasons why you should stop wasting time and reps on ab crunches.
crunches put strain on the neck
No matter how much you think you’re doing crunches, most people lead the movement with their neck. Loading is not ideal, especially if your goal is to tone your abs.
Crunches are not effective for spinal flexion
A strong core relies on good spinal flexion along the length of the spine, from chest to lower back. Fully flexing your abs and driving them into your spine is essential to building ab strength. But again, all the work your neck receives during a crunch session is taken away from the actual spinal flexion. is it?
crunch is too easy
You’ll never really try crunches until you’ve pumped out a ton of reps. It doesn’t work. Your ideal target range should be in the range of 10-15 reps.
“If you can lay down and do 1,000 crunches, and you say you did 1,000 crunches, you probably say you don’t have a six pack,” says Samuel.
3 Alternate Crunches to Build a Six Pack
Instead of crunches, try these three proven ab workout alternatives.
● Hanging leg raises (or knee raises)
3 sets of 8-10 reps
Focus on bringing your glutes forward during the contraction phase of this hanging movement.
●Hollow hold
3 sets of 30 second holds
Hollow holds shift the focus to an isometric contraction, forcing you to maintain the desired spinal flexion without straining your neck. Instead, the position strengthens tight core control. “Imagine taking the hardest part of a crunch done correctly and holding the moment for 30 or 45 seconds,” says Samuel. “That’s what you have on hold and why it’s such a great option.”
● V-up
If you want to challenge your core in a way that crunches can’t, try a V-up. This exercise involves reaching up and flexing your spine, moving your hands and feet to the top of the movement, then returning to the hollow hold starting position. “What I love about the V-up is that it incorporates lower abdominal activity, like the hanging leg lift, [with] We take hollow holds and epigastric spinal flexion and put them together for a more dynamic movement,” says Forzaglia.
Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer with articles for Muscle and Fitness, Men’s Fitness and Men’s Health.
