Crunches

[EgYpTiAnMaTT91]

Hey guys,

I've recently started exercising and I have one question about crunches. Where exactly are you supposed to be sore after you do them? I would imagine it would be around your stomach area where your belly button is, but for some reason I'm getting sore around the bottom of my rib cage. Either that's where it's supposed to be sore-and I don't think it is- or I am doing them wrong. Could someone please enlighten me on this matter?

Thanks,
Matt

[minijun]

Re: Crunches

Hi Matt,

I reckon its just that you are doing a standard crunch...? There are different parts to your abs.
--If you wanna work out the side abs you can do a standard crunch to fatigue, then pause at the height of the crunch and wiggle from side to side (while supporting your neck and keeping your uppper back/shoulders elevated).
--If you wanna work out the lower abs, sit in a normal ab position and then open your legs so that your knees are pointing outward towards the walls. Then do a normal crunch in that position. You should feel that at the lower part of your abs.

And of course there are crunches with your knees raised, or a reverse crunch, where you bring up your lower body and raise your bum while your upper body stays flat on the floor and you use your arms at either side for stablizing effect.

Also, one last good ab workout I know from pilates. Its called 100`s.
Lie flat on the floor and raise both your legs straigt out at about a 30-45 degree angle. Raise your shoulders off the floor and point your arms straight out in front of you. Your head should also be up, but be careful to be in a comfortable position.(So basically the only thing on the floor is your bum and lower back) Count in sets of ten, and move your arms up and down firmly (but not swinging them) at each count. After 10 sets of ten, you will have done 100 of whatever they are. These are a good one!!!


I hope this helps!!! And if it doesn`s blame someone else

D

[jimmie 48]

Re: Crunches

i am no fitness guru so i'll just leave this link. check it out and make sure you are doing things correctly. it's a pretty cool site! anytime you want to go back to it, you can find it in a sticky, in this forum or in the exercise challenges forum.

http://sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises-printable.asp

[EgYpTiAnMaTT91]

Re: Crunches

Hi Matt,

I reckon its just that you are doing a standard crunch...? There are different parts to your abs.
--If you wanna work out the side abs you can do a standard crunch to fatigue, then pause at the height of the crunch and wiggle from side to side (while supporting your neck and keeping your uppper back/shoulders elevated).
--If you wanna work out the lower abs, sit in a normal ab position and then open your legs so that your knees are pointing outward towards the walls. Then do a normal crunch in that position. You should feel that at the lower part of your abs.

And of course there are crunches with your knees raised, or a reverse crunch, where you bring up your lower body and raise your bum while your upper body stays flat on the floor and you use your arms at either side for stablizing effect.

Also, one last good ab workout I know from pilates. Its called 100`s.
Lie flat on the floor and raise both your legs straigt out at about a 30-45 degree angle. Raise your shoulders off the floor and point your arms straight out in front of you. Your head should also be up, but be careful to be in a comfortable position.(So basically the only thing on the floor is your bum and lower back) Count in sets of ten, and move your arms up and down firmly (but not swinging them) at each count. After 10 sets of ten, you will have done 100 of whatever they are. These are a good one!!!


I hope this helps!!! And if it doesn`s blame someone else

D

Yes I am doing just a standard crunch. Thanks for all that info. about how to work your abs. I'll have to try the stuff you mentioned.

[EgYpTiAnMaTT91]

Re: Crunches

i am no fitness guru so i'll just leave this link. check it out and make sure you are doing things correctly. it's a pretty cool site! anytime you want to go back to it, you can find it in a sticky, in this forum or in the exercise challenges forum.

http://sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises-printable.asp

Wow..that website has a lot of good things on it. Thanks for posting it.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Crunches

you are welcome!

you are just a teen, at 185. how much are you looking to lose or are you more interested in the exercise found here? i have to ask because at your age, you are not done growing yet.

[minijun]

Re: Crunches

jimmie 48
Thanks for the link! It`s fantastic.

[EgYpTiAnMaTT91]

Re: Crunches

you are welcome!

you are just a teen, at 185. how much are you looking to lose or are you more interested in the exercise found here? i have to ask because at your age, you are not done growing yet.

Well, I don't really know yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to grow that much now, because in the past year I've grown like at least 3 inches. My goal right now is to get down to 160, weight loss-wise and then I'm going to try to bulk up to 165, 170 ish, muscle-wise.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Crunches

sounds like a plan. i'll bet your mom freaks to see you grow so much in one year! lol i remember my boys doing the same. you'll probably have another growth spurt before it's all over with.

my youngest was so upset as a younger boy, when he was probably 12 or so. he just thought he was gonna be a shrimp like his momma. in the last year of high school, he shot up and stands about 6' 2" now. lol tall and lanky. his dad is 5' 11" but his grandpa was a tall, lanky guy.

[EgYpTiAnMaTT91]

Re: Crunches

sounds like a plan. i'll bet your mom freaks to see you grow so much in one year! lol i remember my boys doing the same. you'll probably have another growth spurt before it's all over with.

my youngest was so upset as a younger boy, when he was probably 12 or so. he just thought he was gonna be a shrimp like his momma. in the last year of high school, he shot up and stands about 6' 2" now. lol tall and lanky. his dad is 5' 11" but his grandpa was a tall, lanky guy.

That would be awesome if I had another growth spurt before I'm done growing! It's a weird thing with my family though, my mom, sister, and dad are pretty short, but me and my brothers are tall. And all the relatives I've met have been short too.
Mom-5'2"
Dad-5'6"
25 yr-old Sister-5'5"
20 yr-old Brother-6'0"
15 yr-old Brother-like 5'10"-5'11" ish
me-like 5'10"-5'11" ish
Everyone's done growing except me and my 15-yr-old bro and we're probably going to get to 6'.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Crunches

you will see more growth, i'd bet on it! another couple of inches before it's all over.

see, that was my problem, matt, i was too freaking short for my weight! i needed to be about 5' 7" lololol i am only 5'