Who doesn’t want a toned and tight tummy? Did you know that you don’t get abs just by doing crunches?
The Real Truth about Crunches:
Crunches can strengthen your abdominal muscles but they won’t undo the fat gain from the foods we put in our mouths.
The Real Truth about Abs:
We all have abdominal muscles. Whether those muscles can be seen or not is dependent on the amount of body fat that we have. When you get your body fat low (typically low 20’s or below) you can magically see your abs. Yep, even if you have never done a single ab exercise in your life you will see your abs. When your body fat is higher you cannot see any ab muscles no matter how many belly exercises you do. Have you ever heard anyone say “abs are made in the kitchen”? Never have truer words been spoken. It takes a combination of workouts with lean/balanced eating to see that 6 pack.
Gain without Pain:
If I am doing crunches to strengthen my abdominal muscles I want to get the most toning and tightening from the exercise. I want to work the muscles without straining my back and neck.
When observing folks in gyms I see some very interesting versions of the simple crunch. I often see straining and pulling of the neck. I see folks holding their breath. The worst is when I see distressed faces from those experiencing low back pain.
I made this short video that shows you a simple TWEAK that will kick up the ab toning and keep you out of pain.
Put this proper form together with eating lean and balanced and you will really see those abs taking shape. Don’t forget to work your lower back after working the abs to balance out both sides of your core. Abs that are tighter than the back create an imbalance that can lead to poor posture and back pain. Check out the second floor exercise in the video in this link for a great exercise for the low back to balance you out!
I would love to here what areas you struggle with the most. Leave a comment in the section below or send me a message on my contact page. Share this blog post with your friends by clicking on any of the social media buttons on the right hand side of the page.