Crunches and planks for your abs

Why do we think having a flat stomach with a six abs exposure is the ultimate target every athlete is looking for? Where we should pay more attention to our core strength, during our daily workout routine. With that being considered, you as an athlete will be able to reach more than a flattened 6 abs or stomach, you will reach a well-shredded body that feeds you with a big push of confidence and even a greater look, just to be able to fit in the new world.

What is a crunch:

Crunch is a regular definition in the athlete’s daily lifestyle, as they help in letting the athletes reach out to their ultimate aim, the six abs. traditional crunches are a dynamic flexion movement designed to target rectus abdominis muscles, and one of the main four abdominal muscles is the “abs” running along the center of the midsection. It is completely safe to perform crunches as they only require our body weight, crunches have long been hailed as a go-to core strengthening movement, and accordingly, they are just as effective as some popular ab targeting equipment. Some researchers have come up with a conclusion that trainers have reaped greater muscle activation with crunches than what you can get from some ab equipment like the ab roller.

What does it make:

Crunches are more beneficial for building a great amount of endurance in some body regions, but most importantly the abdominal region. The crunches don’t provide a full core workout and matter of fact, no other moves do. While crunches aren’t the only ab exercise you should do, it’s more beneficial to incorporate them in a workout or two per week, which also include training for your pelvis, back, obliques, and transverse abdominis.

What are the exercises:

Here are some important steps to perform an effective crunch workout:

1. Lay on your back with your knees bent, and feet on the mat. The feet should remain a comfortable distance away from the buttocks.
2. Place one hand on top of the other and place them behind your head, with the elbows wide to the side. Inhale to prepare, and as you exhale, scope the navel to the spine bringing your chin towards your chest (not onto the chest), and lift your upper back off the ground until the tips of the shoulder blades hover around 1-2 inches in the air.
3. Lower the body down until the tips of the shoulder blades touch the floor, then again lift the shoulder blades back up 1-2 inches off the floor, making sure to keep scooping the navel to the spine.

Who should do it:

As beneficial the crunch workout is, it’s not safe for some. Anyone with a lower back injury should prevent himself from doing such exercises. That’s because of the big amount of pressure and squeezing released from the abdominal muscles. So be wary if you are suffering any sort of backaches or in your lower body muscles and always get back to specialists for more secured instructions.

What is a plank:

Plank or planking is an exercise that pays attention to strengthening your core more than targeting only one area of your body. Plank exercises give you a great sense of stability, balance and improve your endurance body level. The plank exercise takes your body rigidity to a whole higher level just like a plank of wood. It’s very basic training with no extra need for equipment or even heavy weights. The plank position has an effective impact on a wide range of major muscles group. The primary affected areas are the abs and back, including the erector spinae and the rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus. Adding to these muscles, the trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, and pectoral muscles for the upper body, as well as the gluteus maximus and quadriceps of the lower body.

What does it make:

Planking exercises can work perfectly in shaping your body health properly and improving your core body strength as well. The plank exercise is beneficial when it comes to your flexibility as you set a continuous planking routine for all the muscles group of your back. Planking exercise is a huge support for your body posture as it continuously feeds your body with strength and power. Planks help in getting rid of problems that happen to your back. Planking help in metabolism when done every day than the other core exercises like sit-ups for instance.

What are the exercises:

Here are some important steps to perform an effective plank workout:

• Start in a high plank (aka push-up) position.

• Bend elbows and rest weight on forearms instead of hands. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.

• Brace core as if you were about to get punched in stomach. (Always pay attention to your breathing)

• Hold it for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

1)  Plank with leg lift:

• Get into a plank position on forearms with abs braced.

• Engage glutes to lift and hold one foot a few inches off the floor. Foot flexed.

• Do 10 lifts with one leg. Switch sides. Repeat.

 2)  Side plank:

• Lie on left side with knees straight.

• Prop body up on left elbow and forearm, feet stacked.

• Raise hips until body forms a straight line from ankles to shoulders.

• Brace abs and breathe deeply for duration of the plank exercise.

• Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3)  Side plank with leg lift:

• Start in side plank position with left elbow below shoulder, feet stacked.

• Keep core braced and lift right (top) leg as high as possible while maintaining proper form. Flex foot and point toes slightly down.

• Lower leg. That’s 1 rep.

• Do 10 reps. Switch sides. Repeat. 

4)  Straight-arm plank:

• Start in push-up position with hands on the floor beneath shoulders, arm straight.
• Set feet close together and straighten legs, with weight on toes. Body should form a straight line from ankles to head
• Brace abs and squeeze glutes to help keep body rigid.
• Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute

5)  Straight-arm plank with shoulder touch:

• Start in a high-plank position with hands on the floor beneath shoulders, arm straight.

• Set feet close together and straighten legs, with weight on your toes.

• Drop shoulder blades down and back and keep a straight line from head to ankles.

• Keeping hips still (they will want to move), lift right hand and tap left shoulder. Slowly replace right hand and repeat on the left.

• Continue alternating for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Conclusion:

Whether you want to crunch or plank, at the end of the day, you are maintaining an impeccable path of a healthy life. A life that is full of energy and power that paves a huge road of success and progress, not just on a body-looking concept, but it’s more like a mental state and that is what all about.