Crunches on the floor: how to pump up your abs effectively

How are the abdominal muscles structured?

As a rule, most people’s idea of a beautiful press is limited to “cubes” - that is, the rectus abdominis muscle. Some even divide the press into “upper” and “lower” (which is fundamentally wrong from an anatomical point of view), and then lament that the latter is difficult to train.

Rectus muscle - it stretches from the ribs to the pubic bone and is a single whole, so under load it works entirely. Across it there are 3-4 tendon bridges that form the well-known “cubes”. There are no bridges closer to the pubic bone and there cannot be “cubes” in this area. The rectus muscle is responsible for tilting the body forward and lifting the pelvis upward
External oblique muscle - located on both sides of the body and is responsible for its rotation, and also participates in lowering the chest down
Internal oblique muscle - located directly below the external ones and stretches from the outer part of the inguinal ligament to the ilium. Work when turning the body
The transverse muscle is the thinnest and deepest muscle. It is located under the internal oblique muscle. Its function is to retract the abdomen and move the ribs towards the midline

Side bar in dynamics

Stand in a side plank position, resting on the forearm of one hand.

The top hand rests its palm on the waist. The body should be in a straight line with the legs.
Place your feet on top of each other, resting on the elbow of your supporting hand.
Raise and lower your pelvis up and down with a small amplitude.

Repeat 10-12 times on each side.

About the benefits of crunches

If you follow the exercise technique and train regularly, you can achieve excellent results with crunches. In particular, make the abs more pronounced and the stomach flatter. That is why crunches are an integral part of fitness and bodybuilding classes.

Strengthening the abdominal muscles with the help of crunches is necessary not only to create an attractive figure, but also to normalize the most important physiological processes - coughing, deep breathing, urination and defecation.

In addition, a strong muscular frame protects the abdominal organs from damage and maintains them in the correct position. For girls, crunches are especially useful - they will not only allow you to become slim and beautiful, but will greatly facilitate the process of childbirth in the future.

Contraindications for crunches

Diseases in which an increase in intra-abdominal pressure is unacceptable (pathologies of the liver, intestines, gall bladder)
Breathing disorders
Cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure problems
Rheumatism and intervertebral hernias

Despite the fact that crunches are recommended even for a physically unprepared person, before starting training you must make sure that there are no contraindications to performing the exercise.

Types of twists and technique

Double crunches allow you to evenly load the rectus muscle. Starting position: lying on your back, hands at your temples or behind your head, but not in a lock. As you exhale, you need to pull your body and pelvis towards each other and smoothly return to the starting position, but do not lower your shoulders
Lateral (diagonal) crunches are for the oblique muscles. They are performed lying on the floor, with the legs bent and turned to the left. The right hand is placed behind the head, and the left is placed on the stomach on the right. As you exhale, you need to try to reach your right elbow to your left knee and smoothly return to the lying position. You need to work the left side in the same way.
Boxer crunches are a quick way to get rid of the so-called “lifeline” and find a thin waist. Starting position: lying on the floor, arms bent, palms clenched into fists and directed towards the chin. As you exhale, lift your shoulder girdle and move your body in a circle, trying not to involve the lower part of your body. Return to a lying position
Oblique crunches are an exercise that will make your waist more expressive. It is performed lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, hands at your temples or behind your head, lower back pressed to the floor. As you exhale, you need to lift your body up and to the right, trying to reach your right knee with your left elbow. Then go down
Reverse crunches - in this version of the exercise, the legs are lifted, and not the body, as in straight crunches. Starting position: lying on the floor or on an inclined bench. The legs bent at the knees are raised towards the chest. When the pelvis rises above the floor/bench, you should smoothly lower your legs
Crunches lying on a horizontal bench are an exercise for people with good physical fitness. Lying on a bench, you can perform both straight and side crunches. Hanging crunches are a great way to tone not only your abs, but also your buttocks. Performed while hanging on a horizontal bar. It is necessary that the legs do not have support, the arms are straightened, and the back is slightly bent at the waist. As you exhale, your legs should be pulled back slightly and then raised as high as possible. If your thigh muscles are weak, you can bend your knees slightly, but for an ideal effect, your legs should be straight. Hold this position and smoothly lower your legs back
Twisting from the lower block - performed on a block simulator and has two options.

The first allows you to load the rectus abdominis muscle, and the second allows you to work the oblique muscles. In the first case, the starting position is: lying on the floor, the belt is fastened to the lower block of the simulator, the legs are securely fixed in it and bent at the knees. As you exhale, pull your knees toward your chest so that your pelvis rises. Then slowly lower your legs. At the same time, the shoulders remain raised, the back is rounded
The second version of the exercise is performed standing, feet shoulder-width apart, the belt is fastened to the lower block of the simulator, its handle is thrown over the left shoulder and held with both hands. As you exhale, you need to bend towards the opposite knee, while pulling the handle down. Then return to a standing position. Repeat the required number of times and do a set for the other side of the press.

Leg-raised crunches are a more advanced version of the classic crunch. Starting position: lying on the floor, hands behind your head, legs raised up perpendicular to the floor and slightly bent at the knees. As you inhale, you need to raise your body to your knees, but do not raise your pelvis. As you exhale, return to the starting position. If it’s hard for you, the exercise can be simplified - as you exhale, pull your hands to your toes
Crunches on a fitball are ideal for people with average physical fitness and women after pregnancy. Starting position: sitting on a fitball, rolling down a little so that your back is on the ball. Hands at your temples or behind your head. As you exhale, you need to lift your torso up. Then return to the starting position

Side plank: arm swing

Start in a side plank on your right side, resting on your elbow. The left arm is extended vertically upward.

With a single stroke, bend it, move it in front of you and bring it under your body, as if hugging yourself in midair.
Straighten your arm above you again and repeat the same action 10-12 times.
After this, change your supporting hand and do the same amount of effort in the other direction.

Abs training programs

Abdominal training should be performed at intervals of at least 48 hours - this is necessary for proper muscle relaxation. The first classes should include no more than three varieties of crunches.

For example:

Classic crunches – 10 times, 3 sets
Reverses – 10 times, 3 approaches
Lateral – 10 times, 3 repetitions for each side

The interval between exercises is 1-2 minutes. After each session you should feel soreness and burning in your muscles. When these sensations disappear, the complex can be complicated by adding new exercises to it, as well as using weights and exercise machines.

Errors when doing crunches

Incorrect breathing. Raising the body or legs should be done while exhaling, and lowering should be done while inhaling.
Lifting the pelvis while pulling the body towards the knees. This leads to an unreasonably high load on the spine, which may result in back pain.
Lack of insulation. It is neglected mainly by beginners. Well, how can you not help yourself to your loved one with your hands, feet, and back? Yes, this will make the exercise easier, but it will significantly affect the results of the training.
Hands clasped behind the head. This is a dangerous relic of the past that leads to strained neck muscles. It's better to keep your hands at your temples
Too sudden movements. Jerking not only takes your breath away, but also negatively affects the condition of the tendons and muscles - after such an “intense” workout, your abs will be very sore

You need to do crunches smoothly, lingering at the point of tension in your abdominal muscles for 1-2 seconds. If you are not sure how to do the exercise correctly, watch a video on how to do it.

When you do crunches in the gym, your trainer can point out errors in your technique. What if classes take place at home? You can understand that you are doing the exercise incorrectly by the lack of tension in the abdomen, pain in the neck or lower back, and a feeling of tension in the muscles of the arms and legs.

Exercise options

Side plank crunches

There can be two options here - either the athlete twists from the full support of the bar, or performs the exercise when the supporting leg is on the floor. All this allows you to additionally statically load the core, engage the oblique and transverse abdominal muscles, and add load to the rectus muscles;

Reverse fold or side V pose

It is also a twist, in which the buttocks are on the floor and the person reaches with his free hand to the upper leg;

Reverse lateral crunches or T-pose

The palm is placed on the floor, and the athlete lifts his hips and twists, rather than doing the opposite. The movement consists of going into a side plank.

Crunches for obliques

Nutrition for beautiful abs

“I have abs, but they are not visible under a layer of fat” - Have you ever heard such a statement from self-critical people? But, like every joke, there is some truth in it: if a person is overweight, crunches alone will not be enough to burn fat and give the stomach definition.

The so-called “body drying” is popular among athletes - a diet in which carbohydrates are almost completely excluded from the diet, and preference is given to protein foods. It allows you not only to quickly lose weight, but also to lose excess water, as a result of which the body becomes toned and muscle definition is drawn.

It is not necessary to resort to such extreme measures; it is enough to exclude foods rich in carbohydrates and fats from the diet and consume more protein - that is, protein found in lean meat, fish, eggs, legumes, as well as in dairy and seafood.

Life story

In the process of writing this article, I just remembered a story about my friend from my student years, Bor. He was not fat, but he was always “in body,” as they say. And at the same time he dreamed of a toned torso; the presence of a tummy upset him most of all.

One day Borya found out that reverse abdominal crunches help to get six-pack, and he began to work out hard, doing crunches every other day. But a month passed, then two, and the cubes did not appear. My friend was ready to despair and give up everything. But in time I met a man who was knowledgeable in training. And he said that Boris’s abs had tightened up, but because of the layer of fat it was simply not visible!

After that, the guy adjusted his diet and said a clear “no” to buns and pies in the student canteen. He also added straight crunches, planks and vacuums to his classes. And after another 2 months I finally got the result, in the form of toned abs and shaped abs!

Dear friends! Strengthening your abs is not an easy task, but it is very important. It requires both willpower and constant work. But you will definitely succeed if you do reverse crunches correctly, and also make your diet healthier and less caloric. I wish you this with all my heart!

That's all! I wish you all health and good luck, thank you for your comments, likes, and subscriptions. See you again!