Crunches on the press: types and techniques for performing exercises * Crossfit

Crunching on the press is an exercise performed by athletes to gain strong and prominent abs. In terms of its biomechanics, it represents the lifting of the trunk with a slight rounding of the back (kyphosis) in the thoracic region from a prone position. As a rule, twists are performed by the athlete not in the maximum possible amplitude so that the load is constant and the abdominal muscles do not relax at the top and bottom points. Working in a similar execution technique, the load is focused on the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle.

This exercise has gained well-deserved popularity among athletes involved in crossfit, bodybuilding, fitness and martial arts, since a well-developed abdominal press plays an important role in all these disciplines. And today we will tell you how to do twisting correctly - all possible variations of this exercise.

What is the use of crunches on the press?

I want to note right away that twisting is not the same exercise as lifting the body or sit-up. In twisting, the amplitude is not so important to us, here there is absolutely no point in lifting the body to a right angle, how much continuous work of the abdominal muscles and control over the movement - for this we somewhat round the back in the thoracic region. This slight kyphosis is perfectly acceptable and does not increase the risk of injury.

Twists are good because by choosing one or another type of twisting that we will do in training, we can regularly add variety to the training process and work out certain fates of the muscles of our press in isolation.

Because of this, I consider crunches to be my # 1 abdominal exercise. It is quite simple, it is easy to feel the contraction and stretching of the working muscle group in it, most of its types do not require additional equipment, and with the help of twisting you can properly work out the muscles of your abs in literally 10-15 minutes - an excellent option for those people who cannot set aside a lot of time for training.

Types and technique of performing the exercise

Let's take a look at how to correctly do the most famous types of curls, starting from the more basic, effective and common.

Classic crunches

The simplest variation of crunches of the press from the point of view of observing the correct technique is the classic one. The athlete performing the exercise raises the torso slightly bent in the upper part (the area of the shoulder blades and the broadest muscles of the back) from a prone position. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete lies down on the floor or a fitness mat, legs bent at the knees, rest your feet firmly on the floor, and take your hands behind your head.
While exhaling, gently lift the upper body without changing the position of the lower back and buttocks - they remain firmly pressed to the floor. The upper back should be rounded a little, so it will be easier for you to concentrate on contracting the abdominal muscles.
Continue smoothly lifting the torso until you feel the load reach its peak. Hold this position for a second to further statically contract the muscles.
Start going down. The lowering of the body must be controlled. It is not necessary to lower yourself completely to the floor, it is better to stop about ten centimeters from it, when the abdominal muscles are most stretched. Working in such a reduced amplitude, you will increase the effectiveness of this exercise, since the load will be many times more intense.

Reverse crunches

An equally effective form of exercise is reverse crunches on the press, accentuating the bulk of the load in the lower press. The fundamental difference with the classic version lies in the fact that in reverse crunches, we reduce the press by raising the legs, and not the body. Reverse crunches can be performed both lying on the floor and lying on a special bench with your head up - there are no cardinal differences. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor or on an incline bench, holding on to its upper edge with his hands. If you are doing the exercise on the floor, it is recommended to keep your arms straight down, they will help you better control the movement. The legs should be slightly bent at the knees.
Begin to lift your legs up, while exhaling and gently lifting the lower back from the surface - this will provide the best contraction of the abdominal muscles.
Smoothly lower your legs and lower back down while inhaling. It is better to work here in the same way as in ordinary twists - in a shortened amplitude with constant muscle tension.

Incline Bench Crunches

Almost every modern gym is equipped with a special bench with an incline of about 30 degrees to work out the abs, why not use this? Moreover, the exercise is as effective as the classic lying twisting. It is done as follows:

Starting position: sit on an incline bench, secure your legs between the rollers at the top of the bench, cross your arms over your chest.
As you exhale, begin to twist, slightly rounding the upper back. The biomechanics of twisting on an incline bench is almost identical to the classic version, so here we work in the same amplitude.
Smoothly go down, taking a breath. Here you can work in the maximum possible amplitude with a slight delay on the bench, so it will be easier to "squeeze" the rectus abdominis muscle, each time starting the movement from the starting position. More experienced athletes can work this exercise using additional weights, holding a disc from a barbell or a small dumbbell in their hands at the level of the solar plexus.

Standing block machine crunches

An interesting option for those who want to diversify the load. The advantage of the block trainer is that the load is continuous and the muscles are statically tense even in the top position. It is done as follows:

Starting position: stand with your back to a block trainer or crossover, grab the handle with both hands (it is most convenient to do with a rope handle), place the handle behind your head at neck level.
Begin a downward movement, rounding the shoulder blades and contracting your abs. It should be lowered until the elbows touch the hips. Pause briefly in this position. Of course, the weight in the simulator should be set low, otherwise you risk getting a spinal injury.
While inhaling, smoothly begin to straighten back, while straightening your back. Here we are working at full amplitude, a small delay at the starting point is acceptable.

Crunches in a block trainer on your knees

Kneeling crunches on the block machine are another exercise variation that requires an overhead block. The difference lies in the amplitude - here it is shorter, so it will be easier for many to feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles in this particular version. It is done as follows:

Starting position: face the block trainer, grab the rope handle, and kneel down with it. Keep your back upright and straight and look forward.
Begin to lower the body down, while rounding your back and exhaling. As in standing crunches, try to touch your legs with your elbows. Lock in this position for a moment, tightening your abs further.
Gradually begin to unbend. You can work both in full and in a shortened amplitude, try both options and stop at the one in which you will feel the maximum load on the press.

Hanging crunches

A technically challenging but effective option for old-school heavy training enthusiasts. Hanging upside down on the horizontal bar, it is quite difficult to concentrate on making exactly the twisting movement, and not lifting the body, but this moment comes with experience. You should not do twisting in the hanging if you suffer from intracranial hypertension or increased intraocular pressure - it is fraught with the aggravation of the problem. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete hangs on the bar on bent legs, the whole body is lowered down, the back is straight, the arms are brought together at the back of the head. It is important that in the starting position the body does not wobble and there is no inertia.
Begin to lift the body up, exhaling, rounding your back and lifting your buttocks up slightly. Do not try to work at full amplitude and try to reach your knees with your head - there is little sense in this. It is better to work approximately to the level of parallel with the ground, at this moment the tension of the abdominal muscles will be maximum.
Smoothly lower yourself down while inhaling. If necessary, hold in the lower position for a couple of seconds to completely extinguish the inertia, start the movement from a stationary state.

Oblique twists

In this version of twisting, the bulk of the load falls on the oblique abdominal muscles, so oblique crunches are a great addition to any basic exercise that involves the rectus abdominis muscle. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor, legs are bent at the knees, feet are pressed to the floor, arms are crossed at the back of the head. Place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other.
We begin to move the body up, exhaling and slightly turning the body in order to better feel the contraction of the oblique abdominal muscles. Try to reach the knee of your left leg with your right elbow. After that, put your legs in place and try to reach the knee of your right leg with your left elbow.
We do not go down completely, we work in a shortened amplitude, the oblique muscles should "squeeze" the entire approach.

Twisting with raised legs

A very interesting exercise due to the combination of static and dynamic loads, the press is tense during the entire approach. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete lies on the floor, the back is pressed to the floor. Raise your legs up so that they are approximately perpendicular to the body, while static stress on the lower part of the press begins. Hands should be crossed at the back of the head.
We begin a smooth movement with the body up, while exhaling. We slightly round the thoracic spine and try to reach the knees with our head. We keep the loin motionless, do not tear it off the floor. Lock in this position for a second.
Smoothly go down, taking a breath. Here it is better to work at full amplitude, with a small pause in the starting position - this way the contraction of the abdominal muscles will be maximum.

Fitball crunches

If your gym has a fitball, you can vary the load and try to do twisting on it. This exercise develops well the neuromuscular connection with the rectus abdominis, as well as the buttocks and hamstrings statically work in it, which will come in handy for many athletes. It is done as follows:

Starting position: the athlete lies down on the fitball, we rest our feet on the floor, place our feet a little to the sides, arms crossed at the back of the head.
We begin to lift the body up, exhaling and slightly rounding the back. Do not let the ball change its position, this is the meaning of the exercise, at this moment a large number of muscles are involved in the work, which are responsible for balance and stabilization.
Smoothly return to the starting position, inhaling, and bend back slightly to further stretch the abdominal muscles.

Common beginner mistakes

Many ab exercises have technical nuances that must be mastered in order to get the most out of them. Let's look at the most common mistakes, myths and misconceptions:

You should not train your abs more often than 1-2 times a week. Crunching is a fairly easy exercise, but even after it, the body takes time to recover.
Performing a large number of repetitions, you will not burn excess fat deposits on the stomach and get the cherished "cubes". The optimal rep range for crunches is 12-20, combined with a diet tailored to your goals, this approach will give you maximum results.
Do not use too heavy weights. If you are doing rotations with a disc or dumbbell, do not chase weights, it is better to focus on mental concentration and contract your abdominal muscles in a more isolated manner, but involving any assistants in the work.

Training program for a month

The Internet is replete with a huge number of training programs for the press. "Press in a week", "Press in 7 minutes a day" and other nonsense, which is not worth spending attention on. Below I propose a work program for the development of abdominal muscles, calculated for a month (4 training weeks), the basis of which is various types of twisting. You can use it if you want to improve the relief of the muscles, make the abdominal muscles stronger and increase the number of repetitions that you can perform without technical errors. The program is based on the principle of periodization, it alternates between hard and light workouts. Within one week, we do one heavy volume workout (for example, on Monday), and three days later (on Thursday) we do a lighter workout to keep the muscles in good shape. In just a month, it turns out eight workouts.

Workout number	Training type	Exercises
1	Heavy	1. Hanging leg raises: 4 sets of 10-15 reps. 2. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 sets of 15-20 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 45-90 seconds.
2	Easy	1. Twisting lying on an incline bench: 3 sets of 12-15 reps. 2. Crunches in a block trainer on your knees: 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
3	Heavy	1. Twisting lying on an incline bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 10-12 times. 2. Oblique crunches: 4 sets of 12-15 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 60-90 seconds.
4	Easy	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 5 sets of 10-15 reps.
5	Heavy	1. Twisting lying on an incline bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 12-15 times. 2. Sit-ups: 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 75-90 seconds.
6	Easy	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 2. Reverse crunches: 2 sets of 12-15 reps.
7	Heavy	1. Twisting lying on an incline bench with additional weights: 3 sets of 15-20 times. 2. Sit-ups with additional weights: 3 sets of 10 times. 3. Plank: 3 sets of 90-120 seconds.
8	Easy	1. Twisting lying on the floor: 3 sets of 12-15 reps.