Are crunches really the best exercise for abs?
Abdominal crunches have become a gold standard of sorts, but they may not be doing as much as you think they are to give you the strong torso you need to play sports, lift objects, perform daily activities or even walk. The problem arises from the nature of the movement itself. A crunch, which entails forward flexion of the spine, places you in the same hunched-forward position that you spend most of your day in, whether you’re in front of a computer, meal, TV or a steering wheel. So why strengthen your body in a direction that you should be trying to move out of? Instead, you want to counteract and minimize the forces contributing to a hunched-back posture. I’m not telling you to avoid crunches, but I am suggesting that you complement crunches with more functional and appropriate movements such as those included in this program. Q: Why work your back in concert with your abs? A: To help stabilize the spine, the ab muscles must work together with the muscles along the back of the spine
