Typical errors during execution
Care should be taken to avoid the following typical errors:
- The feet must not be fixed, even though most fitness equipment allows it and instructs many fitness trainers. By fixing the legs in this way, it is no longer the straight abdominal muscles that work, but the hip lumbar muscle (M. illiopsoas). In general, it is better not to use fitness equipment for this exercise, as other muscle groups are always trained.
- If this exercise is too strenuous for you, you should not lift the entire upper body, it is sufficient to lift the upper body only slightly at first and to increase gradually – you should not overdo it at first. – Special caution should be taken with lordosis cushions. These cushions are designed for an ideal back shape.
However, if the spinal column is incorrectly positioned, they do not support the back, but damage it. You can replace the lordosis pillows with a rolled up towel. – Many athletes take the head in the neck when executing the movement, which means that they overstretch the neck backwards. However, this very often leads to tension in the neck muscle area.
Training planning: How many sentences should you make
According to the most common training method, classic sets of 3×15 crunches are performed – i.e. three runs of 15 crunches each. But since you train with your own body weight and want to strain your muscles to a certain degree, you can confidently continue the exercise until you are exhausted, i.e. until you can’t do it anymore.
Health evaluation of the exercise
The Abdominal Crunch is an exercise that is risk-free in healthy individuals and can be performed confidently even if the athlete has back pain or sore muscles. As already mentioned, Abdominal Crunch strengthens the abdominal muscles and thus contributes significantly to an upright, healthy posture of the spine. So it is definitely health-promoting to train this muscle group regularly.
However, there are some physical and health conditions in which the exercise should not be performed. These include:
- Pregnancy from the 3rd trimester (7th month),
- Slipped disc,
- Inguinal hernia and
- If it is expressly forbidden by the doctor.
