ABDOMINAL
OBLIQUE CRUNCH
 MPEG:
Abdominal Oblique Crunch
CORRECT FORM
1) Lie on a flat,
stable, hard surface in the position shown. Your hands should be clasped
behind your head in order to cradle and stabilize your neck.
2) Pull your head forward
with your hands, tucking your chin in. Lift your upper torso off
of the floor (using your abdominals) and at the same time twist
toward either your right or your left knee.
3) Return slowly in the
same manner.
4) Inhale as
you return. Exhale as you crunch and twist.
MUSCLES
USED
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
Protect your neck
by cradling it. Keeping
your neck and head straight only increases the strain on your spine.
The position of the legs will only make it easier or harder for you
to isolate the abdominals and take your lower back and hip flexors
out of the picture. With your legs straight out, it is harder to keep
your back straight. With your legs propped up on a bed or table, it
will be easier.
The twist and the crunch occur simultaneously and not one after the
other. This allows the obliques to work in their normal arc of motion
and be maximally worked. Be
sure to watch for lower back pain when doing this exercise. Keep your
lower back flat against the floor. You should feel all of the tension
develop in the abdominals.
EFFECTIVENESS
Remember that
although many people want to rid themselves of "love-handles"
( the fat deposits on the side of the torso) this exercise will not
accomplish that. The abdominal oblique crunch will strengthen and
build the muscles underneath of the fat. It is also an good way to
develop some rotational strength that may have a little carryover
into sports. |
