Ab safety advice

Cole

Joined a new gym recently and have begun using the swiss ball to perform abdominal excercises, on the advice of the instructor.
When I'm performing a crunch (sitting on the ball) I lean backwards at full stretch, with my upper body almost upside down and perform each crunch from this position ( hope I explained this ok!)
Is this safe for my lower back? Whats the general opinion on intense ab excercises and lower back strain/injury risk?

Many thanks.

pwd

Do you feel a strain on your back when you perform the exercise? I don't think that would put much strain on your back. All you are doing is arching it as I understand it?

LegacyUser

i do crunches on the swiss ball, i'm paralel with the floor and then i crunch.

this will give you a better workout.

i'd only do what you're doing if i want to give the abs a good stretch.

Transform

Big question is have you got your feet placed against the wall? If you do then stop and work your core more by having them just on the floor.
HAnging leg raises are king in my opinion for abs

pwd

swiss ball crunches, hanging leg raises (captain's chair), bicycle crunches are the three best exercises for abs according to a recent comparative study.

jman0

Ok, i see what a "captain's chair" is, i think those are tough to use.
What i've been doing, is using this bench at the gym i'm not sure what it's called but i'll try to describe it.
It's a paded bench whose back is set at a 45 degree angle from the floor, the other end of the bench has 2 leg padded bars. When you use it you put your legs under the bars then lay back, and your head is nearly touching the ground. It's pretty tough to use. I do 100 sittups this way, sometimes i hold a freeweight to my chest. I believe this type of equipment is working more my lower abs then anything else however.
I'm considering doing some bicycle crunches as well.

Mr E

Yep, its a decline bench. For variety, try and hold a weight behind your head and twist at the top to work your obliques.

WRT Cole's original post, I do that swiss ball exercise (with full stretch) as part of a triset, so its OK. The ball supports your back.

pwd

TmB wrote:

Yep, its a decline bench. For variety, try and hold a weight behind your head and twist at the top to work your obliques.

WRT Cole's original post, I do that swiss ball exercise (with full stretch) as part of a triset, so its OK. The ball supports your back.

That twisting crunch is like a bicycle crunch. You do a cycling motion with your lefgs and touch alternate knees with your opposite elbow each time you complete the motion. It should work all your ab muscles pretty well. I do these, the swiss ball crunches, and decline bench crunches. I find these more tiring than the other two exercises.

jman0

pwd wrote:

That twisting crunch is like a bicycle crunch. You do a cycling motion with your lefgs and touch alternate knees with your opposite elbow each time you complete the motion. It should work all your ab muscles pretty well. I do these, the swiss ball crunches, and decline bench crunches. I find these more tiring than the other two exercises.

I'm not sure i follow the "twisting motion" on the decline bench, i presume it means when u are at the apex of the sittup, you rotate your shoulders (or elbows if hands are behind the head) toward the opposite knee, sort of like a bicycle crunch?

Speaking of bicycle crunches, i tried some of these and i found myself feeling strain and pain in my neck muscles: http://www.netterimages.com/grossanatomy/image8.htm
The ones that starts behind the ear and extents to the sternum.
I did suffer an injury to this muscle awhile back and they are always quite tight today. So i'm probably not going to push it.
What else can i do to work the upper abs, besides using those crunch rocking yokes the gyms seem to prefer?

Mr E

I'm not sure i follow the "twisting motion" on the decline bench, i presume it means when u are at the apex of the sittup, you rotate your shoulders (or elbows if hands are behind the head) toward the opposite knee, sort of like a bicycle crunch?

Yup, thats it.

http://www.exrx.net is a great site for finding exercises to target certain muscles.

Ab exercises here: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html#anchor172895