Crunches

I'm starting to get back into crunches and have an AB Lounger in my building's gym so I can do them without hurting my neck or back...

Just curious if you do them, how many do you do center and side? I don't even know how to really do the sides on that thing so I kind of just twist to the side until I feel it.

Re: Crunches

I've never tried the ab cruncher but the one exercise that my trainer does for obliques that I love is this:

You need one heavy dumbell - I use a 8 lb

sit on a step bench (2 risers). leaning slightly back (but with a straight back) and your legs off the floor a few inches (so your body is in a V but with legs bent).

Holding the dumbell with both hands, twist your upper body to the left and tap the step with the weight and then twist to the right and tap the step with your weight. We do 3 sets of 12 on each side.

You can also do it your feet touching the ground if it is too much to lift them off.

Re: Crunches

The crunch machine I do 100 or more center. Oblique machine I do 40-50 on each side.

In fab ab class we do the exercise explained above and another one where you have the small ball, lift your legs up and put the ball between you legs from side to side, passing from one hand to another. almost like a basketball player would do a fancy dribble between his/her legs.