Fitness Machine and Fitness Equipment

Abdominal Crunch Bench

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is used to strengthen the abdominal muscles work outs. It is used to develop the abdominal and oblique muscles. The Abdominal Crunch Bench helps you maintain proper form in order that you can maximize the work out on your abdominal muscles, therefore it reduces injury or back strain.

Muscles of Development

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is used to develop the rectus abdominal muscles. They are the classic “six pack” muscles prized greatly by weight training enthusiasts. The Crunch Bench also work on the lower back, and variation in the crunches works the oblique, or side abdominal muscle.

Appearance and Dimensions of the abdominal crunch bench

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is made of a padded bench with two bars at one end that supports a two footed braced platforms. The ergonomically curve nature of the bench enables you to maximize correct form as you exercise with the bench. The Abdominal Crunch Bench has a dimension of 60cm x 80cm x 130cm. The compact nature of the bench makes it fit easily into a small gym or home.

Precautions and correct technique

Though the Crunch Bench is ergonomically designed to help you maintain the right form while exercising, you have to position your leg up, this isolates further and work the main abdominal muscles. Place your back on the bench, with you feet placed on the two foot platforms. The small part of your back should place over the ergonomic hump near the front of the wide bench.

Then use your abdominal muscle to pull your torso off the bench. Make sure you are exhaling as you lift your body and continue lifting until you are 30 degree to a full erect sitting position. When at the top of range of motion, hold on for 2 seconds, and then inhale as you lower down to the bench. Repeat the exercise until failure.

Most expert do not recommend full sit up to be carried out, since it is not effective way of exercising the abdominal. When doing a full sit up, the abs is only used for the first 30 degree of the range of motion, while the other muscles completes the finishing of pulling your torso to full sitting position. Therefore the Abdominal Crunch Bench is used in working the abs muscles its entire range of motion, it is considered more efficient.

Also when performing the full sit up, ensure that your back stays straight and rigid through out the whole range of motion. As you get tired when performing this exercise your back will arch, which causes strain or injury, therefore do not place hand behind your neck, it is more likely to cause your back to arch and increases your risk to injury.

Variation in technique

The abdominal Crunch can also be used to perform twisting crunches, as well as standard vertical crunch. Performing the twist crunch with the Crunch Bench requires you twist your torso to alternating sides at the top of range of motion.

By twisting you work your oblique (side abdominal muscles). Also, by grasping a weight plate across your chest as you complete the crunch makes the exercise difficult and is a good way to further develop the abdominal muscles.

Benefits

The Abdominal Crunch Bench helps you maintain a good form as well as focus your technique, it also develops and strengthen the abdominal muscles. The equipment is of great value and fit easily into small gym or homes.

The Hyper extension Machine

The Hyper extension Machine is a training equipment used to work primarily on the hamstrings, abs, and lower back muscles. With the hyperextension you can do a very good torso power exercise, when you fail to develop your back torso muscle, it usually results into back pain problems, but with the hyper extension machine you are assured of eliminating these problems. It is one of the effective methods used to build the core torso power as well as a powerful muscled lower back.

Muscles of development
The Hyper extension machine works mainly on the lower back muscles (erector spinae), gluteus, and the hamstrings. It will help you build the core body strength and it is a very good exercise you can do to strengthen the lower back.

Appearance and dimension of the Hyper extension machine

The Hyper extension machine is made of a padded bench, with two foot restraints behind the bench’s seat. It has a dimension of 80cm x 110cm x 110cm. The hyper extension is a compact and inexpensive machine used to work on the lower torso muscles and lower back muscles.

Precaution and Correct Technique

When using the hyper extension to develop your lower back muscles make sure you position yourself onto the leg or waist pad with your waist just above the pad, thereby giving you a free range of movement, also secure your legs by holding the back of your ankles under the leg restraints at the back. Then lower your waist as far as you can to the floor depending on how comfortable you are, also make sure your neck is relaxed.

As you lower yourself gently to the floor inhale, and then exhale as you bring your torso up, till you are high as you can to a level that is parallel to your legs. At the top, remain at that position for a count of two and repeat the process again. Also make sure you don’t swing or bounce at the bottom of the movement as this will take the muscle strain away from the lower back and reduce the effectiveness of the lower back. The bench can also be used to carry out more intense exercise than the usual sit ups.

When performing sit ups with the hyper extension machine, sit on the pad, and secure the top of your ankles and feet behind the leg restraint. Also you can use the two side handles by the side of the chair to secure yourself properly before beginning the exercise. After you are properly secured, then lower your back to a horizontal position, as far as you feel you can go, inhale as you lower yourself. Exhale as you smoothly lift yourself to a vertical sitting position.

Make you don’t bounce throughout the motion movement as it reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. The focus of this exercise is the abdominal muscle.

Also before using the hyper extension machine make sure you warm up properly, since the back hyper extension uses any wide range of motion, if it is not properly warmed, the back muscle can easily be strained. Also, if you feel strain on your hamstrings as attempt to extend the range of motion of this exercise, do not attempt to push yourself beyond your limit, with time you will be able to increase the range of motion. Also, do not bounce in an attempt to increase the range of motion, as you could injure your hamstrings.

Also when using the hyperextension for sit ups always try to keep your back straight and rigid as you carry out the exercise. Also do not arch your back, because you can strain the muscles of the inner torso, and the exercise will not be effective. Also don’t place your hand behind your neck or head as you complete your sit ups, since it is mostly likely going to cause you to arch your back.

Variation in technique

The hyper extension machine exercises can be made difficult through the use of additional weights. Place a weighted place across your chest with your arm crossed as you perform the sit ups. It will help to develop the muscles rapidly. When performing the back hyper extension grasp a weighted plate across your chest or hold a weighted barbell behind your shoulders as you carry out the range of motion movement.

Also you can vary the sit ups in several ways, either by twisting your torso as you rise to sitting position; it will increase the work out on the oblique muscle (side abdominals). You can as well perform a half sit ups. When doing the half sit ups rise normally, but stop at about thirty degree to the top of a full sitting position. Hold on for a count of two, to expand your abdominal muscles, before inhaling and gently lowering yourself down. This exercise is more effective than the full sit up, since it targets the abdominals more effectively.
Benefits
The hyper extension machine is a great tool used to develop the lower back strength and abdominal muscles. Since many people spend too much time sitting behind their computer and lacking the necessary lower back strength to support their torso. Also many weight trainers neglect their lower back while training their abs and excess, thereby not developing the correct physique and causing chronic pain. Also the musculature of the lower back will be properly taken care with the hyper extension machine.