Jemblog

Crunching by Machine

There are pros and cons to using your gym’s abdominal crunch machines. They can be a nice change of pace from floor crunches; they also enable you to increase the weight as you become stronger. Depending on their design, however, some crunch machines make it easier for you to rely (unintentionally) on other muscle groups – such as your hips or legs – rather than working the abs themselves as much as possible.

Here are some pointers for getting the most from your time on the crunch machine:

• Move slowly both during the bend and the return to your upright position.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position; do not bend it backward or forward.
• Don’t perform the crunch primarily by pushing down on the arm pad. Instead, concentrate on doing the crunch by contracting your abs.