Long Arm Crunch

The Long Arm Crunch is an abdominal exercise that many individuals may not be quite familiar with. It is, as one might guess, a modification of the original crunch routine that implicates muscles in a different manner and to different degrees. The Long Arm Crunch may be helpful for people who want to flatten stomach muscles without buying any external equipment.

To perform a Long Arm Crunch, the user must lie flat on the floor, just as if he or she were getting ready to perform a normal crunch. However, instead of placing one’s hands behind his or her head, the participant must stretch his or her arms out upward. With hands clasped and arms pulled close to the head, the user then performs an otherwise normal crunch, leaning forward just enough to lift the upper back off the floor. By raising the arms above the head, the user may force his or her abdominal muscles to perform more work. The Long Arm Crunch actually helps flatten stomach muscles such as the external and internal obliques, muscles that run along the sides of the abdomen, as well as the more commonly implicated central ab muscles. Some people consider the Long Arm Crunch to be among the best abdominal exercises individuals can perform.