I usually cringe when I see members at my gym using the Abdominal Crunch Machine. They load up the weight, bang out 10-12 repetitions and then rest for a minute before doing a second set. Now, if we set aside the fact that it is very easy to cheat on that machine by incorporating your upperbody more than your midsection, the biggest problem with this routine is that it is not an effective way of targeting the abs.
Why? Well it all comes down to anatomy. The midsection is composed of type I slow-twitch muscle fibers. That means that they contract slowly, have high aerobic capacity, do not respond well to hypertrophy (muscle growth), and are most responsive to high repetitions. Type I muscle fibers differ from Type II fast twitch fibers, such as the pectorals, which contract quickly, respond well to hypertrophy, have low aerobic capacity, and are best trained through high weight and low repetitions.
So what does this mean? Abdominals being type I fibers, need to be trained with a lot of repetitions and with little rest. Working out abs, therefore, is inherently different from working out the other major muscles in the body.
That’s my first peeve with the way that most people work out their abs. The second one is that they don’t hit the entire midsection. The midsection/core is the most important muscle group in the entire body. It is responsible for posture and movement. Basically, it does a lot. In order to train it properly, the different parts of it need to be stimulated. Crunches (the preferred exercise for a lot of people, I have noticed) only do one thing: target the upper abs. A good Ab workout requires targetting the lower abs, the inner abs, and the obliques. Now the beauty is, because the muscle group respond best to little rest and a big workload, you can work it out effectively in a short amount of time. In just 5 minutes you can give your midsection a workout that will be more effective than 15 mins on the ab crunch machine.
A good routine that I recommend is the following:
3 sets of,
crunches
side crunches
leg raises
and the plank.
So say goodbye to the ab crunch machine and say hello to a tighter midsection!
