High Crunch. How-to, proper form and tips
The High Crunch is a variation of the Crunch and effective strengthening the abs.
Video demonstration
(excerpt from 'Exercise Library: High Crunches'
by Darebee)
How to and step by step instructions:
- Lie down on your back.
- Plant your feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart and bended knees.
- Raise your arms, hands toward the ceiling. This is the starting position.
- Lift your shoulder blades off the floor, taking arms and hands closer to the ceiling. Lower back remains on the floor, chest and neck are relaxed.
- Hold this high position for a few seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
Hints & tips:
- Keep your neck relaxed, this is an abs exercise.
- Perform the exercise slowly, with control.
- Don't crunch to high, this is a subtle movement.
- Keep the tension, don't fully relax on the floor.
Benefits:
- Strengthen abdominal muscles and obliques.
- Strong abs are the foundation of many daily moves such as carrying any object or just raising yourself.
- Also a strong core is a requisite for many exercises.
Counting & gamification:
- Create the habit of doing some crunch-series right after warmup and before your regular workout.
- Get a list of crunch variations, ensure some variation on your daily routine with a rigid number of reps, ideally 50 to 100 in total.
Muscles worked and body parts involved:
Primary muscles: Abs
Secondary muscles: Upper Back, Lowerback
Other names
The exercise can be found with other names. Examples are:
- High Crunch
- Elevated Crunch
