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Men's Health October 2007
AN AB BOOSTER THAT BACKFIRES
Swiss-ball crunches may sabotage your sixpack dreams. If you perform the exercise with the ball under your shoulders, you'll achieve 30 percent less abdomidal activation than you will if you do the crunch on the floor, report
Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D. and scientists at California's
Occidental
College. But don't pop your Swiss ball just yet. By positioning the workout aid under your lower back, your crunch will be 30 percent more powerful than the floor move. Say the authors, "A lower ball position entails lifting more of your trunk into the air, which requires greater abdominal stabilization and support." Use the tips below to do it right.
