Why you need a good screwdriver...

[KnottedYet]

Crunches are not "functional" (how often do we fold ourselves in half in the real world?) so they don't really train the core muscles much. Just rectus abdominus "six pack" muscle. Planks (and Pilates, and Yoga, and dance) are more functional, kick in your transversus abdominus, and get your lumbar and pelvic stabilizers and slow twitch postural muscles all warm and happy.

At least, that's how I rationalize my distaste for crunches!

When I want to really make myself tired I do bridges with my feet on a physioball. Straight leg, bent leg, and curling-toward-you. I can only do 5 or 10 of each. I aspire to 20 of each. My abs and hamstrings cry out for mercy.

And I aspire to the next step in the plank progression: side planks where you lift and lower the top leg. I can't do that yet at all.

[three]

So, I have to admit that I was thinking Screwdriver in terms of orange juice too. But, I was happy to see someone else chatting about a movie that they find inspiring and others may think silly. This is almost like a confession, but I have a movie that I pop in for inspiration too...it's kind of a secret. I'm a closet fan of GI Jane, with Demi Moore. There's this montage of her working out in her dorm at the Navy Seal camp and it always inspires me. Fake boobs or not, she's pretty ripped in that movie. You guys are talking about doing pushups, but my goal would be the chin ups (which she breezes through) and the hanging by the knees from a bar crunches...those I just don't get, but I hope to be able to do one (or more) someday. Any other confessionally inspiring movies out there?

[DirtDiva]

Haha. Those are hilarious. (Maybe my sense of humour is a little twisted, though.) My whole body starts shaking within about three seconds.

I will do a chin-up. One day.

[doc]

When I want to really make myself tired I do bridges with my feet on a physioball. Straight leg, bent leg, and curling-toward-you. I can only do 5 or 10 of each. I aspire to 20 of each. My abs and hamstrings cry out for mercy.

And I aspire to the next step in the plank progression: side planks where you lift and lower the top leg. I can't do that yet at all.

So true. How about planks on your whole forearm? (i.e elbows bent). Killer!