Everyone wants washboard abs…the elusive six-pack…or at least some definition around their midsection.
Haven’t met a person where that’s not true … unless they already have it.
And this leads to a lot of crunches, sit-ups, bicycle crunches, and leg raises.
Am I right?
But here’s the deal;
You may be doing the exercises in a harmful way.
Although they do focus on the abs and core, there are a lot of people messing up the form…
….which may be limiting the effectiveness of the exercise.
Here’s what we normally see when someone is doing a crunch or a sit-up:
Clenched hands behind your head…pulling through the neck and shoulders…and your head and neck move back and forth.
By doing your crunches and sit-ups this way…you’re adding stress to your neck, shoulders and compressing your low back, which doesn’t do too much for your abs, it does more for your chiropractor.
The best way to do a sit-up or crunches is to consider not doing them and learn better exercises, however, if you must then at least cross your arms over your chest, tuck your chin towards your chest, and relax your neck and shoulders.
This takes the strain off your shoulders and neck, and puts more of the focus on your abs.
But here’s something else to consider:
Although you may associate endless crunches with the six-pack ab look, it’s not the only exercise you should be doing.
There are plenty of other exercises you can do to target your core, that won’t put as much stress on your neck and shoulders.
One of those exercises happens to be a favorite of ours—the plank.
Not only does the plank target the entire core (abs, hips, and your lower back), it targets almost every muscle in your body.
From your shoulders and upper back, to your quads and hamstrings…this is one of the best exercises for developing strength all over—and especially in your core.
So…if you’re looking for the elusive six-pack, and you’ve been doing crunches with no results, it may be due to poor form creating more stress in your neck and shoulders, and less stress to your core.
If you change the way you do the exercise, you may find it easier and more effective for targeting your abs.
Or:
You can skip the crunches and sit-ups, and focus on some other, more advanced, movements that target your core—and give your abs the workout it really needs.
If you need help figuring out the best core workout for you, be sure to get in touch with us and we can help you develop the right approach to reach your goals.
What’s your favorite ab exercise?
Be Well – John
Changing the way Life is done.
Mindset. Fitness. Nutrition.
P.S. Here are 4 more ways you can become happier and healthier:
1. At-Home Workout Program
We created a 3 tiered entry-level program for those who want/need to stay at home to workout, and you can access it for FREE.
There is NO EQUIPMENT needed, only an open mind and doing the work!
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We’ve created an Online Program to fit all budgets.
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If that sound interesting, you can find out all the details now: CLICK HERE
3. Join our BADASS Community on Facebook
We want to work with and be around as many BADASS people as possible. Folks who might forget how BADASS they are and just need the space to remember.
So, we started a FREE group on Facebook called BADASS, which is our own private community where we go deeper into what we do at Bair Knuckle Strength.
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4. Rise
Rise is the story of ‘never feeling powerful … to … never feeling powerless’. It’s about John Bair’s life, why he does what he does and how his suffering created happiness.
This handwritten book takes you through an intimate, yet, self-revealing journey, which allows you to implant yourself into the story, as it relates to your own, and reveal the steps you’ll need to take, in order to make change a successful reality.
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