Neck pain during crunches

[traz]

Hey all, my ab muscles are getting stronger and stronger, and I'm able to do about 300 crunches daily now. However, it seems as if my neck just can't keep up with that many reps.

Whenever I get to about 150 crunches, my neck begins to really hurt, and the hardest part of my ab workout is overcoming my neck pain! It's not doing the crunches that's hard

So my question is, has anyone else experienced this? Is it just me, am I doing the crunches wrong? Anything I can do stop having neck pains when doing crunches?

Thanks!

[Mr Pockets]

Well, it's good for strenghening your neck- but if it's bad and your neck needs rest- just hold your hands on your head. Don't pull on your head at all, just let them hold your head up.

When I say hold them on your head, I mean at the base, so that most of your hands are actually on your neck. That, for me, helps me support it without yanking on it.

[Maddwraph]

try to keep your chin touching your upper chest, i eahrd that helps.

[Kaminari]

The neck pain means that you're lifting yourself up with partial help from your neck. Supporting your head with your hands is a good way to avoid this, like Mr. Pockets suggested.

[elila]

Maybe you're tugging your neck? I keep my hands on my neck, but just to keep them out of the way. You could try crossing your arms at your chest instead.

[DKizzle]

In my experience that is caused by trying to use your head to help you lift. You've got to focus on using only the stomach to crunch. Hands behind the head helps as long as you don't pull on your head with the hands.

[traz]

Thanks for all the replies guys! When I'm doing crunches, I have my arms crossed over my pec area, so I"m not pulling on my neck.

I've been looking at my form, and I think the pain just stems from a bad habit I developed along the way. My eyes are definitely focues on a point on the ceiling, but at the peak of my crunch, I seem to tense my neck forwards...as if I'm replicating the movement of a turkey, if you can imagine. You know...when ppl mock turkeys, they move their necks back and forth? It feels like I"m doing that motion at the top of each crunch...and I"m not sure why, but I can't stop myself from doing it heh.

[DKizzle]

Oh I see what you're saying. I used to do that as well. Can't think of something form-wise to change, just focus on not doing that.