| This movement needs to be controlled and fluid. Don't rush or try to jerk yourself up. Always perform it in a controlled manner. Also, watch your knees, some people have a tendency to scrape them with the stick. This exercise is really effective for your mid-section. It will carve out your abs fast. After doing this exercise for a while you will find it too easy. That's the point at which you select another core exercise. If you don't have a stick handy you don't really need one, just imagine you are holding a stick and do the exercise. If you are at the gym, you can also use a short bar (usually found around the cable apparatus). Finally, the most important thing is not to rush this movement. It's all about doing it at a constant pace without any jerking motions. If you do this movement too fast you will not be maximizing the potential that this exercise has for your core. And, it would be just plain cheating. Therefore smooth and fluid is way to go! After doing this crunch for a while you should feel your abs getting tighter - sort of a feeling of them being solid and harder. This is a sign that you are doing the right thing and that the exercise is working. | 
