Of course if you’re doing crunches incorrectly, they can strain your neck and put undue tension on your body—but with proper execution, this can actually be a great move to add to your workouts for a little extra burn.  Breathing through the movement and making sure to keep your crunches slow will also most effectively target your muscles, firing up the upper abs and obliques as you contract your core.  Below, you’ll also find additional variations on this classic move that target various parts of your core—such as those obliques.

How To Do Crunches Correctly To Strengthen Your Abdominals - 40How To Do Crunches Correctly To Strengthen Your Abdominals - 40How To Do Crunches Correctly To Strengthen Your Abdominals - 46