crunches: fast or slow?

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Yes, I can.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

Well, I start out fairly fast, but slow down quite a bit when I'm
nearing the 50 count. ;-)
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

Well, I start out fairly fast, but slow down quite a bit when I'm
nearing the 50 count. ;-)

You'll never be a professional quadathelete (I added one) like me, if
you keep pigging out.
Dally

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

Most people make more use of their hip flexors, and therefore less use
of their abdominal muscles, when doing these quickly - a good reason to
do them slowly. There is nothing wrong with strengthening the hip
flexors per se but it makes the exercise less effective for the abs.

Google "Janda situp" to read about this subject. The first hit that
comes up from me is by Clarence Bass - it's worth reading. The devil is
in the details, as you will see.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:08:54 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.

Concentric?

JRH said:

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:08:54 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.

Concentric?

http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/contractions.shtml

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:15:46 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

JRH said:

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:08:54 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

[email hidden] wrote:

>Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
>slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
>reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
>reps and slow reps?
>
>Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
>am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
>quicker pace in one case.
>

I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.

Concentric?

http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/contractions.shtml

You are of course correct but I can't see how you can do a crunch any
other way. I suppose you could lower slowly in the eccentric phase,
but crunching does rather mean shortening the abdoms.

No big deal, just an odd way of describing it.

JRH said:

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:15:46 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

JRH said:

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:08:54 +0800, spodosaurus
<spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com> wrote:

>[email hidden] wrote:
>
>
>>Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
>>slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
>>reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
>>reps and slow reps?
>>
>>Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
>>am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
>>quicker pace in one case.
>>
>
>I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.

Concentric?

http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/contractions.shtml

You are of course correct but I can't see how you can do a crunch any
other way. I suppose you could lower slowly in the eccentric phase,
but crunching does rather mean shortening the abdoms.

No big deal, just an odd way of describing it.

I've seen a lot of people flop down on the negative or do little
shoulder hunches as fast as possible rather than proper crunches. I've
also seen people go very slowly and deliberately through the concentric
phase, with either very little actual crunching or lifting their
shoulders high enough to put most people with 'strong abs' to shame.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:28:40 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

JRH said:

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:15:46 +0800, spodosaurus

spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com said:

JRH wrote:

>On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:08:54 +0800, spodosaurus
><spodosaurus@_yahoo_.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>>[email hidden] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
>>>slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
>>>reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
>>>reps and slow reps?
>>>
>>>Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
>>>am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
>>>quicker pace in one case.
>>>
>>
>>I pause for a three count at the top of a moderately paced concentric.
>
>
>Concentric?

http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/contractions.shtml

You are of course correct but I can't see how you can do a crunch any
other way. I suppose you could lower slowly in the eccentric phase,
but crunching does rather mean shortening the abdoms.

No big deal, just an odd way of describing it.

I've seen a lot of people flop down on the negative or do little
shoulder hunches as fast as possible rather than proper crunches. I've
also seen people go very slowly and deliberately through the concentric
phase, with either very little actual crunching or lifting their
shoulders high enough to put most people with 'strong abs' to shame.

To them I say, proper form and a full range of movement is the basis
of any good exercise.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Some people do crunches with quick reps, others do it with
slow reps. I suspect that both are appropriate for different
reasons. Can someone explain the different benefits of quick
reps and slow reps?

Note: When I speak of "quick" reps, I do not mean jerks. I
am talking about smooth movements in both cases, just a
quicker pace in one case.

Do weighted curl-ups....