Crunches

The crunch exercise was one of the most common exercises for the abdominal muscles in late 20th century America, said to primarily work the rectus abdominis. A safer alternative to the standard crunch is a variant of the crunch known as the curl-up, as taught by spine biomechanics professor Dr. Stuart McGill. This curl-up is considered to be a safer alternative to the crunch, which differs from the sit-up.

Ab Circle Pro

Crunch Form

Proper Form for Crunches

Proper starting form is lying face up on the floor with knees bent. The movement begins by curling the shoulders towards the pelvis, with hands placed behind or beside the neck, or crossed over the chest. Using the hands to exert force on the neck can cause injury, so common practice is to avoid placing the hands behind the head itself. The hands can however, form a shelf to support the weight of the head, so that the neck flexor muscles can relax during the movement. So long as the neck remains in an extended position with the neck flexors relaxed, then the hands are not exerting excessive force and it will not cause injury.

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Abdominal internal oblique muscle

The internal oblique muscle (of the abdomen) is the intermediate muscle of the abdomen, lying just underneath the external oblique and just above (superficial to) the transverse abdominal muscle.

Its fibers run perpendicular to the external oblique muscle, beginning in the thoracolumbar fascia of the lower back, the anterior 2/3 of the iliac crest (upper part of hip bone) and the lateral half of the inguinal ligament. The muscle fibers run from these point superiomedially (up and towards midline) to the muscle’s insertions on the inferior borders of the 10th through 12th ribs and the linea alba (abdominal midline seam).

The internal oblique performs two major functions. First, it acts as an antagonist (opponent) to the diaphragm, helping to reduce the volume of the thoracic (chest) cavity during exhalation. When the diaphragm contracts, it pulls the lower wall of the chest cavity down, increasing the volume of the lungs which then fill with air. Conversely, when the internal obliques contract they compress the organs of the abdomen, pushing them up into the diaphragm which intrudes back into the chest cavity reducing the volume of the air filled lungs, producing an exhalation.

Secondly, its contraction rotates and side-bends the trunk by pulling the rib cage and midline towards the hip and lower back, of the same side. It acts with the external oblique muscle of the opposite side to achieve this torsional movement of the trunk. For example, the right internal oblique and the left external oblique contract as the torso flexes and rotates to bring the left shoulder towards the right hip. For this reason, the internal obliques are referred to as “same side rotators.”

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Abdominal external oblique muscle

The external oblique muscle (of the abdomen) is the largest and the most superficial (outermost) of the three flat muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen.

The external oblique is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen. It is broad, thin, and irregularly quadrilateral, its muscular portion occupying the side, its aponeurosis the anterior wall of the abdomen. In most humans (especially females), the oblique is not visible, due to subcutaneous fat deposits and the small size of the muscle.

It arises from eight fleshy digitations, each from the external surfaces and inferior borders of the fifth to twelfth ribs. These digitations are arranged in an oblique line which runs inferiorly and posteriorly, with the upper digitations being attached close to the cartilages of the corresponding ribs, the lowest to the apex of the cartilage of the last rib, the intermediate ones to the ribs at some distance from their cartilages.

The five superior serrations increase in size from above downward, and are received between corresponding processes of the serratus anterior muscle; the three lower ones diminish in size from above downward and receive between them corresponding processes from the latissimus dorsi. From these attachments the fleshy fibers proceed in various directions.

Those from the lowest ribs pass nearly vertically downward, and are inserted into the anterior half of the outer lip of the iliac crest; the middle and upper fibers, directed downward (inferiorly) and forward (anteriorly), become aponeurotic at approximately the midclavicular line. This aponeurosis formed from fibres from either side of the external oblique decussates at the linea alba.

The aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle forms the inguinal ligament. The muscle also contributes to the inguinal canal.

Just deep to the external oblique is the internal oblique muscle.

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Human abdomen

The human abdomen (also called the belly or midriff) is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. Anatomically, the abdomen stretches from the thorax at the thoracic diaphragm to the pelvis at the pelvic brim. The pelvic brim stretches from the lumbosacral angle (the intervertebral disk between L5 and S1) to the pubic symphysis and is the edge of the pelvic inlet. The space above this inlet and under the thoracic diaphragm is termed the abdominal cavity. The boundary of the abdominal cavity is the abdominal wall in the front and the peritoneal surface at the rear.

Functionally, the human abdomen is where most of the alimentary tract is placed and so most of the absorption and digestion of food occurs here. The alimentary tract in the abdomen consists of the lower esophagus, the stomach, the duodenum, the jejunum, ileum, the cecum and the appendix, the ascending, transverse and descending colons, the sigmoid colon and the rectum. Other vital organs inside the abdomen include the liver, the kidneys, the pancreas and the spleen.

The abdominal wall is split into the posterior (back), lateral (sides) and anterior (front) walls.

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The best ab machine

Is the Ab Circle Pro the Best Ab Machine?

Here is what I think…

The AB CIRCLE PRO tummy flab reducer is advertised on As Seen On TV  as the new quickie path to creating a slim, tight six-pack of abdominal muscles.  All you have to do is settle in on this rotating exercise wonder for three minutes a day, and you will have the abs you’ve always dreamed of.

THE CONTRAPTION

The AB CIRCLE PRO equipment requires that you position yourself on the machine with your knees on pads and your upper body supported with your arms.  While maintaining your upper body position, you initiate movement of your lower body from side to side on a friction free track.  This rotational movement will exercise the upper, middle and lower abs along with the obliques; a really good core exercise.  The equipment has three resistance levels, and can be adjusted to do another exercise that will tone your thighs and butt.  Not a lot of room is needed as the Ab Circle Pro folds up for storage under a bed or in a closet.

WASHBOARD ABS?

Any exercise done properly is good exercise.  So the AB CIRCLE PRO is a good device for exercising your abs as it does target those muscles.  The muscles will tighten, but you should develop a total body cardio workout and weight reducing diet to reduce the amount of tummy flab you’re trying to tighten.   The models seen in all the exercise equipment ads didn’t get their bods by using just the one product they are hyping.  It took a long time on a strict diet and total body exercise program.

IS IT WORTH THE BUCKS?

When I first saw the ad, I thought “For $14.95, it’s worth a try”.   You get the AB CIRCLE  PRO, a work-out DVD and a nutritional guide. It’s $14.95 for a 30 day free trial plus $34.50 shipping.  If you don’t like it, you pay another $34.50 to ship it back.  If you do keep it, after five payments of $39.95 it’s yours to have and hold forever.  So, using this plan it costs over $200.  If three minutes daily was all you wanted to commit to an exercise program, this really might be for you.

Ab Circle Pro Review

Ab Circle Pro Customer Review

Traditionally, exercises to strengthen and tone abdominal muscles meant lying on the floor attempting to do crunches. These can be hard to do correctly. If done incorrectly it can result in an aching back, a sore neck and no muscle toning in the ab area at all. Unconditioned stomach muscles can take weeks/months to tone. This machine has three levels of resistance so you can work at your own pace to achieve the results you want.

The Ab Circle Pro neatly solves the problem of using the abs correctly by getting you up off the floor and into a supported position, kneeling on all fours. That’s why this machine looks so weird! But the clever part of the Ab Circle Pro is that, once you are in position, your abdominals are exercised while keeping them flat, making an incorrect crunch impossible! Brilliant!

Within weeks I noticed a difference in my mid-section. My stomach muscles felt tighter and firmer. I felt sore after my first workout, but that doesn’t always mean you’re going to see results. This is a compact machine that can be stored easily and set up in seconds. As much as I enjoy working out I don’t want a piece of gym equipment as the focal point of my room. It folds up easily and I can store it under my bed or in a closet, no problem. The Ab Circle Pro is made of gym quality steel so it’s not going to fall apart after a few uses. This machine should last you a lifetime.

I paid a little over $200.00 for the machine, including shipping. Not too bad, and certainly cheaper than a gym membership.

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