Sit ups crunches or another abdominal exercise? What is the most effective and what is the best way to train the abs? We have asked!
You want to strengthen your core, make your abs glow and wonder which exercise is best for that.
Is it sit ups crunches or something else entirely?
What is the difference anyway and what does abdominal training have to do with the back?
Table of contents
We checked with a personal trainer.
Tip: Do you already know our belly away workout plan? In it you'll find 6 weeks of workouts and lots of recipes that will help you get a flat tummy!
Sit ups Crunches - What is the difference?
Sit ups crunches trunk bend abdominal press - is not one and the same? No. But almost :)
Sit ups and trunk bends are one and the same exercise. One is the English term and the other is the German translation.
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Crunches and abdominal crunches are also one and the same exercise. Just again in different languages.
For both exercises, you lie on your back with your legs bent. Your hands are on your chest or the back of your head.
And now comes the big difference: With sit ups you straighten the entire upper body. All that remains on the mat are the butt and the heels. Just like in the first picture.
It's different with crunches. The starting position is the same.
However, you now lift only the shoulders and head off the mat. The back remains on the training mat.
For both exercises:
- Maintain tension in the abdomen throughout the exercise.
- Do only as many repetitions as you can really do cleanly.
What crunches and sit ups have in common
Whether you choose sit ups crunches or any other abs exercise, they all have the same goal. They are designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles and give you a flat stomach.
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First, the good news: these exercises work great. It's easy to do them in your living room, without equipment and at any time. They are also suitable for beginners.
And now the other side of the coin: You won't get a flat stomach from crunches sit ups or any other exercise. In order to get a really flat belly, you need to reduce your body fat percentage over the entire body.
Nevertheless, crunches sit ups and all other abdominal exercises have their justification. In short, they provide an upright posture and relieve the back.
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Why crunches are increasingly replacing sit ups
Sit ups involve lifting the torso completely off the floor. You can fix the feet on a rack, a dumbbell or the bed.
The movement takes place from the hips.
So you also use the hip flexor. The focus of the exercise is not exclusively on the abdominal muscles.
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The problem why many trainers recommend crunches is the correct execution. If you do sit ups incorrectly and roll your back, you'll strain your back.
With these exercises melt the pounds!
This happens regularly even to advanced athletes. And it always happens when the abdominal muscles gradually tire after many repetitions. They can then no longer stabilize your movement.
The result: You form a hollow back and that is not healthy for the intervertebral discs.
So why you should give sit ups over crunches is your back. A crunch is gentler on the lower back and therefore more suitable, especially for beginners.
What is important in sit ups crunches and all other exercises
Whether you do sit ups crunches or any other abdominal exercise, the following applies to all of them: perform the exercise in a clean and controlled manner.
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Better to do fewer reps and do them really cleanly than to do a lot of reps and then be rewarded with pain.
If you do decide to do sit ups, be sure to stretch your hips after each workout. This way you can compensate for imbalances.
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Abdominal training, like any other workout, is only useful if you allow time for recovery after the workload.
So exercising every day is not useful. The muscle needs time to grow so that you can achieve better performance. The growth does not take place during the workout, but during the rest.
Likewise, it makes little sense to train only the abdominal muscles. In a healthy body there is always a balance of all muscles. Each muscle also requires the strengthening of its counterpart - in this case the back muscles.
Why abdominal training pays off
The muscles in our abdominal area keep the internal organs where they belong. They do the same with the spine.
The stronger your abdominal muscles are, the more you relieve your lower back. So it makes sense to strengthen your abdominal muscles with sit ups, crunches and the like, even if they don't give you a washboard stomach.
If you do absolutely nothing for your abdominal muscles, they will sag. Fat accumulates due to too little exercise and a poor diet. It can happen that the internal organs slide forward. Then the abdominal wall bulges forward.
This is quite bad for your back - especially for the lumbar spine. Tension, back pain, digestive problems are the result.
So strengthening your abs with sit ups crunches and other exercises makes a tremendous amount of sense.
You prevent posture problems and back pain.
Our conclusion
Whether it's crunches, sit ups or any other abs exercise, it's important that you do it correctly. Only then will you strengthen your abdominal muscles.
You won't get a flat stomach from any of the exercises, yet abdominal training pays off.
Good luck! :)
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