The Abdominal Crunch

The abdominal crunch is a perfect exercise for those of you who can't or don't want to do a traditional sit up.

This exercise takes a lot of the strain off of the back and neck area and really hits the front abs.

You can either do this exercise on a bench or the floor. Personally, I prefer resting my legs on a bench because it gives me a little more balance and stability. It's all about personal preference.

Position for the abdominal crunch

1. Lie on the floor with your arms across your chest or your hands clasped behind your head. Keep your feet on the floor or raise them.

Execution of the seated dumbbell extension

1. Tighten your abs and slowly curl your shoulders up off the floor. Curl your shoulders up toward your knees until your shoulder blades come one to two inches off the floor.

2. Hold this position for a second before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat.

Press play to view an instructional video on how to perform the abdominal crunch.