Choosing Exercises—“The Crunch”
by Brad J. Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS,*D, CSPS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA and Stuart McGill, PhD
Personal Training Quarterly
April 2017
Vol 4, Issue 2
Should personal trainers include the crunch exercise in an exercise program? The answer should always be, “it depends;” however, arriving at the best answer requires a process.
This article originally appeared in Personal Training Quarterly (PTQ)—a quarterly publication for NSCA Members designed specifically for the personal trainer. Discover easy-to-read, research-based articles that take your training knowledge further with Nutrition, Programming, and Personal Business Development columns in each quarterly, electronic issue. Read more articles from PTQ »
1. Axler, C, and McGill, SM. Low back loads over a variety of abdominal exercises: Searching for the safest abdominal challenge. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 29(6): 804-811, 1997.
2. Franchi, MV, Atherton, PJ, Reeves, ND, Fluck, M, Williams, J, Mitchell, WK, et al. Architectural, functional and molecular responses to concentric and eccentric loading in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiologica210(3): 642-654, 2014.
3. McGill, SM. Low Back Disorders: Evidence Based Prevention and Rehabilitation (3rd Ed). Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL; 2016.
4. McGill, SM. Back Mechanic. Backfitpro Inc.: Waterloo, Canada; 2015.
5. McGill, SM, and Axler, CT. Changes in spine height throughout 32 hours of bedrest: Implications for bedrest and space travel on the low back. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 38(9): 925-927, 1996.
6. Reilly, T, Tyrrell, A, and Troup, JDG. Circadian variation in human stature. Chronobiology International1: 121-126, 1984.
7. Roig, M, O’Brien, K, Kirk, G, Murray, R, McKinnon, P, Shadgan, B, et al. The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: A systematic review with meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 43(8): 556-568, 2009.
8. Peterson, D. Proposed performance standards for the plank and inclusion consideration into the Navy’s physical readiness test. Strength and Conditioning Journal 35(5): 22-26, 2013.
9. Schoenfeld, BJ. Does exercise-induced muscle damage play a role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy? The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26(5): 1441-1453, 2012.
10. Schoenfeld, BJ. Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy (1st Ed). Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL; 2016.
11. Snook, SH, Webster, BS, McGarry, RW, Fogleman, MT, and McCann, KB. The reduction of chronic nonspecific low back pain through the control of early morning lumbar flexion: A randomized controlled trial. Spine 23(23): 2601-2607, 1998.
12. Tampier, C, Drake, J, Callaghan, J, and McGill, SM. Progressive disc herniation: An investigation of the mechanism using radiologic, histochemical and microscopic dissection techniques. Spine 32(25): 2869-2874, 2007.
13. Teyhen, DS, Rieger, JL, Westrick, RB, Miller, AC, Molloy, JM, and Childs, JD. Changes in deep abdominal muscle thickness during common trunk-strengthening exercises using ultrasound imaging. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 38(10): 596-605, 2008.
14. Yates, JP, Giangregorio, L, and McGill, SM. The influence of intervertebral disc shape on the pathway of posterior/posterior lateral partial herniation. Spine 35(7): 734-739, 2010.
15. Veres, SP, Robertson, PA, and Broom, ND. The morphology of acute disc herniation: A clinically relevant model defining the role of flexion. Spine 34(21): 2288-2296, 2009
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Retraction and Correction Policy
- © 2024 National Strength and Conditioning Association
#NSCAStrong
#NSCAStrong