Medicine Ball Crunch

Description

How to do Medicine Ball Crunch

1. 01
   Setup

   Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart.

2. 02
   Setup

   Hold a medicine ball with both hands, either pressed against your chest for less resistance or extended overhead for increased difficulty.

3. 03

   Brace your core, exhale, and slowly lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor by curling your torso towards your knees.

4. 04

   Focus on contracting your rectus abdominis, ensuring your lower back remains pressed firmly into the floor throughout the movement.

5. 05

   Inhale as you slowly and with control lower your upper body back to the starting position, maintaining tension in your core until fully reclined.

Tips

• Maintain a neutral neck position by looking towards the ceiling or slightly forward, avoiding pulling on your neck with your hands if they are behind your head.
• Control the movement both during the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases; avoid using momentum to lift your torso or letting gravity drop you back.
• Engage your transverse abdominis by drawing your belly button towards your spine before initiating the crunch to enhance core stability and support.
• Vary medicine ball placement: holding it overhead increases leverage and difficulty, while holding it at the chest reduces the resistance.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back during the crunch reduces abdominal engagement and can strain the spine; ensure your lower back stays pressed into the floor.
• Using momentum to "throw" your body up instead of controlled muscle contraction diminishes the exercise's effectiveness; slow down the movement and focus on a deliberate abdominal squeeze.
• Pulling on the neck with your hands can cause neck strain; keep your neck relaxed and let your core do the work, or place hands lightly behind your ears without pulling.