Crunches?

[cawright1375]

What is the general consensus on doing crunches? Right now I do 3 sets of 20 three times a week along with Ball Crunches 3 sets of 15 3 times a week. Do I need to do both and if not then which is better?


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[Tapeworm]

What is the general consensus on doing crunches? Right now I do 3 sets of 20 three times a week along with Ball Crunches 3 sets of 15 3 times a week. Do I need to do both and if not then which is better?


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Why do them at all?

 

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

Get rid of the crunches, you want to worry about the other side of your torso - the side that is taking most of the strain, the last thing you want to do is encourage the poor bent over posture related with cycling. Work the spinal erectors and deep abdominal muscle with exercises such as back extensions and the plank. Hope this helps.

 

[JustaCyclist]

Abdominal exercises address only part of the core body. If you do crunches only, the result can be a wad of muscle in your belly area with other areas being undeveloped.

You want to strengthen the core body overall consequently your exercises should have a balance, including front, back and side. Planks (and side planks) and back extensions are helpful. If you search for core body exercise workouts, you will find other exercises as well.

While crunches are popular for exercising the abdominals, other exercises can also be employed. Standing upright and raising a bent leg to waist level or higher will work the lower abdominal muscle, for example.

 

[IE_Sprinter]

Pretty much what Justa said except crunches won't do much for core strength at all. Doing planks and core specific will make you strong, but the crunches will make your abs look pretty.

honestly thats not a bad thing btw, might as well make them look nice, (if you are lean enough.)

 

[cawright1375]

Thanks for the advice. I do about 8 core exercises in total and mostly I'm considering dropping the crunches (which aren't in the tally above) mostly due to time constraints of working out during my lunch break.

 

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

Go pick up "functional training for sports" by Michael Boyle. Everything you need to know will be in the and you can pick it up on ebay for next to nothing. Detailed images and clear descriptions the book is designed to be read by athletes, coaches, parents of athletes so it very easy to understand. "Core Performance" by Mark Verstegen is also very helpful.

If it's making it look "pretty" that you're after then I'm afraid there's a little more to it than doing crunches. The appearance of the abdominal musculature is down to your body fat, diet and genetics - where you're parents gather fat is probably the same places as you do/will so you may have to accept that before going forward.

 

[elapid]

Agree with everyone. Apart from strength training, my core work includes crunches (bench/Swiss ball), bicycle, abdominal hip thrusts, supermans, and planks and side planks. Also lower back exercises with the Swiss ball and Romanian dead lifts. I do this 4 times a week. In addition, I do yoga at least twice weekly which is also great for core development. Other less direct core work includes running and indoor climbing sessions.

 

[GratefulDead]

Don't forget about the Lower back<<Essential & Obliques (Core). The stronger your lower back, the easier your ab workouts will become. Trust me.

Ab workouts also hit the Hip Flexors which are an essential muscle group in turning them cranks.