The humble crunch. A staple of any core workout. Much-loved by six-pack seekers around the world. But there are so many ways to get it wrong.

Crunches are fantastic for toning up the abdominal muscles, but they’re only effective if you do them right.

Flinging your body up by your shoulders without a stable base isn’t going to do you any good – and could even increase your risk of injury.

Our expert James is on hand to teach you exactly how to execute the perfect crunches.

To do an abdominal crunch you have to start by lying on the floor on your back, with your knees bent.

Place your hands across your chest, or behind the head – as long as you aren’t pulling on your neck when you lift up.

Slowly, the muscles you should start to contract your stomach muscles, which will lift the shoulder blades off the floor by about two inches. The point is to strengthen the core muscles, improve posture, and increase mobility and flexibility.

Once you’ve perfected your form, you can add it to your regular workout routine – and watch the abs start to form before your eyes.

Crunches: things to remember

Don’t go too high These are crunches, not sit-ups – and if you go too high you start working your hip flexors instead of the stomach muscles.

Don’t hold your breath When it starts to get hard it’s tempting to hold your breath.

Don’t do it. If you deprive your body of oxygen the crunches are only going to start to feel harder.

Keep working all the way down Once you get to the top of a crunch, your job is only half done.

Keep the tension in your muscles for a controlled descent to really feel the benefits.

Don’t use momentum If you swing yourself up like a pendulum you can trick yourself into thinking that you’re working hard – but you’re not! Keep your moves slow and always controlled.

Source: Metro.co.uk