Crunches or Sit Ups for Sexy Abs?

The crunch and the sit up are just about the most popular exercises on the planet. Everyone knows them. However, many people think they are interchangeable and as such run into some problems. I’m about to set straight the myths surrounding the crunch and the sit up and tell you which one is better.

Before we get into which exercise is better we have to get our terms straight. I will tell you how to do each exercise properly and then get into the debate.

What is a Crunch?

The crunch is the basis of almost all ab exercise motions. To do a crunch correctly you lay on the floor with your feet flat out the ground. Placing your hands on the side of your head or across your chest you tense your abs and slowly roll yourself up using only the muscles in your stomach. You crunch yourself up to a position where your abs are tight but your lower back hasn’t left the floor. Once you are at this upper position you lower yourself back down and begin the next rep before you are tempted to relax at the ground.

What is the Sit Up?

The sit up, on the other hand, is a bit old fashioned. It is a more unrefined version of the crunch. Traditionally, when you do a sit up you place your feet under something heavy like a table or a bench. You then place your hands behind your head and pull yourself up using your stomach until your elbows or your chin touch your knees. You generally would do this at a pretty quick pace and it is common to race someone else to see who can do the most.

So which is better?

There really is no competition. If you want to develop some sexy abs then you need to throw away the sit up and replace it with some solid crunches.

Why is the crunch better?

The reasoning is quite simple and logical and you will be able to feel it in your own training.

Firstly, the crunch targets the ab muscles much more exclusively. The motion is very restricted and accurate so that when you do a crunch it is difficult for other muscles to come into play and help out. It is a perfect isolation exercise. This allows you to hit the abs hard and focus all of your energy in one place.

The sit up, on the other hand, is a bit wild and unruly. When you do a sit up you lift your lower back off of the ground and as such run the risk of back injury. You also are doing a full range of motion with the exercise and this lack of control brings other muscles into play. In particular, the sit up likes to rely on the hip flexors to help out with the work. The hip flexors are a long muscle that run from the side of your abdominals down your legs and to your quadriceps. They are strong and able to withstand some pain. But, they take the work away from the abs which is what we don’t want to happen.

Does the sit up have any uses?

Yes it does. The sit up is very useful in the right place and if done correctly. In fact, the sit up forms a major part of my abs workout!

The best example of an effective sit up is an exercise I do called the decline weighted sit up. This is where you lay on a decline ab bench (at the gym) and place a weight disc on your chest. You then proceed with a full sit up motion, lifting that weight all the way up to your knees. This burns your abs in a really amazing way but it does use a lot of hip flexors. I have achieved some excellent growth using this, however, so I keep using it.

Martial artists, sports players and other athletes will benefit from the sit up. As I mentioned is gives you a full range of motion which is excellent for developing strength and power. In martial arts and boxing all the power of the punch and kick comes from the waist and the person ability to twist solidly. The twisting sit up is an excellent way to train this.

Conclusion

If you want to train your abs for aesthetic appeal then I would go with the crunch. Use excellent technique and add some weight to your chest to keep your six pack guessing. However, it wouldn’t hurt to supplement with some sit ups once in a while to keep things interesting.

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