Abdominal Exercises Progression
Because of tradition, abdominal exercises are often executed in long sets of 50, 100, or even 200 repetitions. Friends even turn it into a contest:
– "I did 4 sets of 200!"
– "Really? I did 6 of 300."
Who would get the best results from their abdominal exercises in this scenario? No one. Here's why.
Long sets of abdominal exercises are not optimal if you want six-pack abs. It's basic physiology: muscles grow better with heavy resistance and medium-repetition ranges (typically 8–12 reps). Would you train your chest using 4 sets of 200 repetitions? Probably not. Your abdominal muscles are no different—they need to be challenged progressively to grow and become visible.
But what if you can already do 12 crunches? Do you stop there? Definitely not. You increase the difficulty, just as you would for any other muscle group. The easiest way to do this without fancy equipment is by changing your arm position.
Here’s a simple progression model using just your body weight and arm positioning:
Arm Positions to Increase Ab Workout Intensity:
- Arms along your sides
Easiest variation, ideal for beginners. - Arms crossed across your chest
Moderate difficulty. Great for intermediate trainees. - Hands behind your head
More challenging due to the slight increase in leverage. - Arms extended overhead
Much harder—this increases resistance without weights. - Arms crossed with external resistance
Hold a weight (like a dumbbell or book) to add even more challenge.
So, let’s apply this to your crunches. Once you're able to do 12 reps with your arms along your sides, start performing your next sets with your arms crossed over your chest. Progress from there to hands behind your head, then arms extended overhead. Finally, when that becomes manageable, introduce a light weight or resistance object.
This principle applies not just to crunches, but any abdominal exercise. If you're breezing through your planks, leg raises, or Russian twists with ease, it’s time to level up by altering arm positioning or adding resistance.
Final Tip:
Next time you're about to start a set of 200 crunches, try crossing your arms over your chest instead. Notice how many you can actually do and how intense the abdominal contraction feels. Quality and progression matter far more than quantity.
Ready to stop wasting time and start building your core the smart way?