For most of my life I’ve worked out fairly consistently, running outside, going to the gym, or taking workout classes at least three or four times a week. But, like a lot of folks, I’d gotten out of my exercise habit—first, I was on my honeymoon, then it was the holidays…and you know, just life. Can you relate?
I was ready to get back into an exercise regimen, though, so I was actually super psyched to take on this 30-day crunch challenge, which seemed like a simple feat and a good way to ease back into working out on the regular.
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Normally, the only things I like to commit myself to are my husband, my extensive (and obsessive) skincare routine, and a well-deserved glass of cabernet (or three) after a long, hard day. But 50 crunches a day—sounds like no biggie, right? I thought so too, at first.
Still, I wanted to get a better idea of what I was getting myself into and level-set some expectation from the start. So, prior to crunching on the daily, I reached out to fitness gurus to figure out what I might achieve by locking in my 50 a day quota. Before you embark on your own challenge, let me share what you need to know, and all the things I learned about what you can (and can’t) expect from doing crunches every day.
Starting with a reality check: Thirty days isn’t enough time to get a six-pack—even if you do 100 crunches a day. “You can expect to see more changes mentally than physically,” Ben Boudro, CSCS, owner of Xceleration Fitness in Auburn Hills, Michigan warned me. “To be honest, there are way better exercises for your core than just plain old crunches, but that’s really not the point of doing a challenge.”
Interest in trying a 30-day challenge? Check out all the Women’s Health fitness challenges.
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Then what was the point of doing something like this, I asked him? “Challenges have end dates so there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, which helps people following through with them,” he told me. “I don’t care if you just jumped over a stick, did pushups, squatted or only did planks—the bottom line is you exercised in a certain way for 30 days straight, which is a great accomplishment.” I liked his enthusiasm and belief in my commitment level.
So I took the plunge and committed to 50 crunches every day for a damn month straight.
Before you crank out crunches every day, it’s important to know how to do a crunch in the first place. (Obvious? Yes. Important? Absolutely.)
How to: Lie on the ground with your knees bent (or extended, for a more challenging lower abs workout). Bend your arms and place your hands behind your head. Keeping your back pressed to the ground, lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades off of the floor, then lower back down.
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Pro tip: Consider using a yoga mat during your crunch challenge.
Before kicking off the challenge, Chris Ryan, CSCS, trainer and founder of Chris Ryan Fitness, told me, “If you only do 50 crunches a day for a month, you will probably have a serious case of rug burn with a little extra strength in your upper abs, and maybe a little more definition.” He wasn’t kidding. The first location I chose for performing my daily crunches was, indeed, my rug. After all, what options did I have in my 500-square-foot New York City apartment?
But after just two days of this, the rug burn was real. I then decided to move to my hardwood floor—big mistake. Those red marks turned to straight-up bruises I could feel every day at work as my lower back rested on my computer chair. That’s when I decided to use my yoga mat.
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If you want to really build up your core strength, try this full workout routine:
The rest was pretty much smooth sailing, in the injury department at least.
Fifty crunches a day really is nothing in the scheme of things. Each day I spent no more than a solid minute in the crunch position and never even had trouble finishing all 50 at once. But still, getting myself to squeeze in that time was tough. I found every excuse in the book to push off my set of 50 until later and later and later in the day. My list of excuses included (but was not limited to): “I skied all day, I deserve a break,” or “I woke up too early this morning and I’m tired,” or “But it’s the weekend!” I’m thankful that my husband gave me his infamous: “Are you effing serious?” look each of those times.
You may notice minor results after doing crunches every day.
While I definitely felt definition in my upper abdomen, I saw only small improvements in the way I looked (take a look at these before-and-after photos for reference).
That’s because abs really are made in the kitchen.
Though I committed to doing 50 crunches a day for a month, I didn’t commit to any kind of diet or additional exercise plan. I tried my best to make my three classes a week (and failed miserably at that), but I did keep up with my 50 crunches a day.
Since I wasn’t sticking to a diet, that also meant on Mondays, especially after a boozy weekend starring late-night pizza, the last thing my lethargic body wanted to do was lie back and go head-to-knees. I managed to do it, still, every day, but noticed a stark difference in my enthusiasm level on the days when I felt bloated compared to the days when I’d been eating decently.
All in all, thought, I’m glad I took on this crunch challenge.
For once, I committed to some form of a daily fitness routine. I don’t think this is something I’d recommend to anyone gunning for a six-pack. But when it came to commitment, I won the gold medal.
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