I just spent two and half hours reading through all your ab questions from last week and I must say I’m shocked…

…I didn’t realize how many people were still using crunches to try and get a flat stomach and six pack abs.

Unfortunately, I have bad news…doing crunches is NOT going to get you the results you want.

(Although you knew this already, of course, as so many of you also wrote in with frustration that the crunches were not working.)

So I’m going to prove today what you already knew, and that’s how you NEVER need to do crunches again…here are the 7 reasons:

1) Crunches aren’t working for you now, and didn’t in the past, so why would they work in the future?

It’s time to give them up for good.

You know the old saying about insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Time to change it up!

2) Crunches are most dangerous when they are most effective.

When you are overweight, there can be a lot of resistance on the abs when you do crunches – and technically that is good…

HOWEVER, because your ab and low back muscles are weak, that’s when you use bad form and end up with a pain-in-the-neck or low back pain from crunches.

So even though crunches can work your abs as a beginner, they end up causing more harm than good.

As a beginner, you are much better off using the Beginner TT for Abs 4-week program AND the bonus DVD, the TT Beginner Total TorsoTraining program you get here:

3) On the other hand, crunches get LESS effective as you get leaner and fitter, because there is less resistance on the muscle and you’re now too strong to get anything out of crunches.

Here’s a dramatic demonstration of what I mean.

Take your left arm and extend it out to your side. Now clench your fist and do 20 biceps curls.

Now tell me, do you really think that will “work your biceps” and make them lean and sexy? Of course not! So why would the same high-rep method of crunches work for your abs? It won’t, of course.

4) A couple of years ago, Men’s Health magazine made a big deal about a research study proving you would need to do 20,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of belly fat. Twenty thousand!

Even a “crunch fanatic” would need a few days to do 20,000 crunches. The bottom line is that ab crunches are a HUGE waste of time when you are trying to lose belly fat.

5) Even those lean, mixed martial artist guys don’t do crunches.

On the weekend, I was reading an interview with the trainer of world champion fighter, Georges St. Pierre, and the trainer explained how they don’t do crunches, but instead do anti-rotation and extension exercises for the abs.

Not sure what those are? Don’t worry, you’ll get some of those in the TT for Abs workout DVDs.

6) Interval training works your abs harder than crunches.

Whether it’s sprints or kettlebell swings, your abs will shape up faster with interval training than they will with crunches. Guaranteed.

7) Crunches don’t make your abs “pop out”.

This was a big problem mentioned in so many of your questions. A lot of TT readers had lost the fat, but still couldn’t see their abs because they didn’t “Pop out”.

Listen, crunches will never do that…but the exercises we use in the TT for Abs DVDs will, I promise.

So when you’re ready to give up crunches (like right now, right?) and use proven ab exercises and workouts, then you’re ready for the TT for Abs DVDs.

Click here to get your follow along TT for Abs workout DVDs.

See your abs soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, TT for Abs DVDs

PS – It doesn’t matter where you live…

I can now be your in-home personal trainer with the TT for Abs DVDs.

It doesn’t matter if you live in Manilla, Hong Kong, Berlin, Rome, Rio, Montreal, Seattle, Philly, Vegas, Charleston (one of my favorite cities), any Armed Forces base around the world, Cape Town, or New Delhi, I will be there to guide you through the workouts.

PPS – Nutrition also beats crunches EVERY time.

That’s why I also filmed the Simple Nutrition DVD for you and you’llget that DVD and manual as well as another bonus gift. Say goodbye to crunches and hello to sexy abs!