Crunch, Hands to Head

Type: Abs

The standard abdominal crunch exercise targets the stomach muscles. It's a safe effective exercise that is great for beginners to help develop strong abdominal muscles. Placing the hands lightly to the side of the head makes this exercise slightly more challenging than with the hands placed across the chest or on the knees.

Level :

Beginner

Equipment : No

	Abdominals
	Obliques

Crunch, Hands to Head Steps:

Step 1:

Lie on your back on a gym mat with knees bent & feet firmly placed on the floor.

Step 2:

Tighten the ab muscles and draw them in towards the spine. Maintain this throughout the exercise movement.

Step 3:

Place the hands at the side of the head so the finger tips lightly rest on the temples.

Step 4:

Tense the abdominals to lift and curl the shoulders & chest towards the knees.

Step 5:

Make sure the lower back stays in contact with the mat.

Step 6:

Lower yourself back down to the beginning.

Top Tip:

To get the most out of this exercise, keep your lower back on the floor and move your shoulders and head towards the ceiling. This should be a very small movement which should only occur in the abdominals and not the hips.