Ball Crunches
Dallas Personal Trainer - A less common version of crunches that is highly effective however and commonly utilized by a Dallas personal trainer who is certified by the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine).
Lie on your mid/lower back on a Swiss Ball and hook your feet under a sturdy inanimate object or a couple of dumbbells pushed up against a wall to keep you from flipping over when you lean back. Once you are set, lean back as far as possible without letting your abs relax and then crunch your torso forward attempting to pull your ribcage and pelvis together. On this exercise, you will get a fuller range of motion than you do on most ab exercises and as a result, you will actually get somewhat of a stretch at the bottom of each rep. However, keep the movement controlled and keep your abs flexed even when they are in the stretched position. Make sure you do not jerk from the bottom, but deliberately transition smoothly between each rep using a tight controlled muscle contraction.
Do not pull with your legs or hip flexors at all. This is not a sit-up, only a crunch, so you may not feel like you are coming up very far at all when you do these. That is fine, you should only be trying to pull your rib cage torward your pelvis to contract your abs tightly, nothing more.
Start this exercise with your bodyweight as the only resistance and then as you get stronger, begin holding a weight plate or dumbbell behind your head as you do this exercise. If it is more comfortable, you may choose to hold the weight at the top of your chest rather than behind your head...either way is fine. Both versions are shown in the videos below.
As always, we do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified Dallas personal trainer. This exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor before attempting any workout program or attempting this exercise or any other exercise on this website.
Lie on your mid/lower back on a Swiss Ball and hook your feet under a sturdy inanimate object or a couple of dumbbells pushed up against a wall to keep you from flipping over when you lean back. Once you are set, lean back as far as possible without letting your abs relax and then crunch your torso forward attempting to pull your ribcage and pelvis together. On this exercise, you will get a fuller range of motion than you do on most ab exercises and as a result, you will actually get somewhat of a stretch at the bottom of each rep. However, keep the movement controlled and keep your abs flexed even when they are in the stretched position. Make sure you do not jerk from the bottom, but deliberately transition smoothly between each rep using a tight controlled muscle contraction.
Do not pull with your legs or hip flexors at all. This is not a sit-up, only a crunch, so you may not feel like you are coming up very far at all when you do these. That is fine, you should only be trying to pull your rib cage torward your pelvis to contract your abs tightly, nothing more.
Start this exercise with your bodyweight as the only resistance and then as you get stronger, begin holding a weight plate or dumbbell behind your head as you do this exercise. If it is more comfortable, you may choose to hold the weight at the top of your chest rather than behind your head...either way is fine. Both versions are shown in the videos below.
As always, we do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified Dallas personal trainer. This exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor before attempting any workout program or attempting this exercise or any other exercise on this website.