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Hello, this is Daniel Masters and today I'm going to show you the correct way of doing
the ball crunch. The ball crunch is one of the most effective
abdominal exercises you can do when done correctly. Done incorrectly, it can seriously damage
your back and your neck, so pay attention to what I'm about to show you because this
is the correct way of doing this exercise. Many people go into the gym and so way too
many crunches, believing that it is the quickest and most effective way of getting fat off
the stomach. This is incorrect. The ball crunch is nothing more than an abdominal strengthening
exercise for the upper quadrants of your abdominal wall. If you need to tighten the upper part
of your abdominals then by all means do this exercise. If you want to get a flat stomach
muscles and a trim belly then the abdominal crunch will not do this for you. The abdominal
crunch is for purely a strengthening exercise for your upper abdominal wall. Always remember
this from doing this exercise. This is the correct technique for doing the
ball crunch. Pay attention. First of all, select a ball that is the right
size to your body. When you take your ball, you sit on it and your legs should line approximately
at 90 degrees. If the ball is too small for you and your needs rise above your hip then
this means the ball is too small for you and you need to select a ball of the right size
for your body. Typically speaking, people below five foot need to use a 35-45 cm ball
and people from 5 feet 5 upwards, need to use a 55cm ball.
People above 6 foot should use the 75cm ball. When you take your position on the ball, you
should roll onto your back, stretch your abdominals over the ball, draw your chin back in and
look straight to the ceiling. Place your hands on your temples and elbows
back. As you begin to roll up, inhale first and breath out through the front.
Breath in and roll back; breath out and roll up. Whilst you're doing this exercise, the
chin should not be depressed forward and your head should not be pushed forward.
You should be able to support your own weight of your head. So, if you have to put your
hands behind your head, this means that your next is not strong enough and you should not
attempt this exercise. By all means, strengthen your neck muscles up first, but do not start
a ball crunch until you can support the weight of your own head.
When doing the ball crunch, you should ensure that your technique is always kept at absolute
precision. Most people lose technique due to fatigue or to actually bad coaching technique.
If you are unsure about doing this exercise, approach a qualified trainer who can show
you how to do the exercises properly. This has been Daniel Masters for your MPT tip of
the day. Thank you.