Crunch is ranked as one of the most popular exercises. Not only is it easy to do, but this exercise can also deeply impact the muscle groups, helping the practitioner improve their body shape quickly and effectively. Specifically, what is Crunch, and how to do Crunch properly? Let us guide you in detail!
What is Crunch?
What is Crunch? is a common question of many people when they first learn and come into contact with bodybuilding. Specifically, Crunch is an exercise for the abdominal muscles, starting with a supine position. Basic Crunch is performed by lifting the upper and lower body in each exercise rhythm through abdominal tightening movements. When learning about Crunch, many people often confuse the two concepts of Crunch and Sit up. These two exercises have the same movement of crunching the abdomen, but the sit-up exercise is often classified as more difficult than Crunch. Sit-up exercise is not just about lifting the shoulders; more than that, it requires the practitioner to lift the entire body. This is quite difficult for those who are just starting to practice.
When performing the Crunch exercise with the right technique and at a moderate pace, you will be able to burn the maximum amount of excess calories, thereby effectively consuming fat in the abdominal area. According to training experts, Crunch has the effect of firming the abdomen and intercostal muscles, giving the practitioner strong abdominal muscles, while increasing the flexibility of the activities of the muscles and joints.
There is a particularly important note when practicing Crunch, which is the breathing principle. This is somewhat similar to any other sports exercise for the muscles. When practicing, you need to exhale strongly when using the muscles and inhale deeply when relaxing the movement.
Advantages/disadvantages of Crunch
When learning about what Crunch is, you will also notice the advantages and disadvantages of this exercise:
Advantages
Compared to more popular and powerful exercises for burning excess fat all over the body such as jogging, jumping rope, plank, etc., Crunch is known as a “specialized” exercise with the ability to impact more deeply, helping to improve abdominal muscle mass effectively, especially in groups of people who tend to sit a lot and move little like office workers. Crunch is suitable for both men and women, with high training efficiency if persistent. In more detail, the advantages of Crunch include:
• Crunch exercises have the effect of isolating abdominal muscles – something that many exercises cannot do. Thanks to that, this exercise will help you tighten your muscles faster and stronger, especially suitable for those who want to practice 6-pack abs, 11-pack abs.
• Crunch does not require any equipment or support tools and can be practiced anywhere.
• Crunch does not require too much technique, and can be applied even when you are just starting to get acquainted with the concept of training.
Disadvantages
Besides, Crunch also has some disadvantages, such as:
• Only focuses on the abdominal muscles, has little or no impact on the oblique muscles or core muscles. Therefore, this is not the best exercise if you want to improve strength
• For beginners, when practicing this movement at home, it will be difficult to determine whether they are doing the right or wrong technique. Therefore, this will cause unwanted risks of injury
• For the elderly or those who are experiencing injuries, Crunch is not a recommended exercise.