Sparxx43's Journal, 31 August 2015

Just looked at crunch technique on YouTube. Should have watched that first. Mine was appalling. I'm surprised I haven't pulled a muscle!! 

Best checking all physical jerks are performed the right way or else injury is risked and that can set you back to square one again.Plenty of great info on Youtube to keep us all right. 

the easiest way to do a crunch is have you legs form a right angle at the knee (hope that makes sense) finger tips on the side of the head just above the ears, keeping the elbows away from the head and not in front as a lot o people, so it looks like 2 little traingles either side of the head. Keep your eyes fixed on one part of the ceiling and never take your gaze from the spot, this will ensure that a: you don't damage your neck and b: you isolate the abs and don't roll up like so many people do (because its easier) breathe in on the easy part and out on the hard part. Don't jerk into the crunch 

I was doing a full sit up like I was taught when I was younger. But that's out of fashion now. Because my core isn't that strong at the moment I was using my momentum to almost haul myself up. Now I've tried it the proper way I can see that I was making it difficult for myself. Wednesday I'll do them properly. 

Thanks for the advice from both of you. I'm always open to advice on exercise. 

you normally have to go to about 30 degrees, about half way between the floor and your knees. If you cant make that distance work on pulses that just take your should a couple of inches of the floor. Don't forget to vary the exercise, ie plank, normal sit up, reach out planks, and don't forget those muscles at the side, obliques, things like side bens, left plank and right plank. Always work all three, don't forget the back either because in the beginning if the ab core is weak the back muscles will try and compensate and you back will be sore