The Crunch and the Sit-up are two exercises aimed at training the muscles found in the abdominal area. They help to strengthen and eliminate the fat that accumulates around the gut. They are very effective exercises for training the mid-abdomen. With them, we can train a specific area of this area or the whole as a whole.
In addition, despite differing in some aspects, as we will see below, these exercises can be combined. However, we must take into account our physical condition and what are the objectives we want to achieve with this type of exercise.
In practice, both exercises are performed lying on the floor with the head facing upwards, the knees bent and the soles of the feet resting on the surface. As for the arms, we can place them both above the chest, behind the head, or stretched out on the floor. This last position will depend on the comfort of the athlete.
Differences between crunch and abdominal sit-up
The abdominal exercises called Crunch are those that are performed only by lifting the head and shoulders off the ground. The degree of lifting will have its peak when we begin to feel the muscles of the abdomen contract. At that time we return to the starting position to repeat the exercise again until we reach 15 repetitions.
Abdominal exercises, meanwhile, are based on lifting the head and shoulders but also require that we take our back off the ground until we are almost sitting down. As we can see, the lifting movement is greater, so in this type of exercise, the abdominal muscles are exercised but also the dorsal muscles, the back, the tensor fasciae, and the hip flexors. We will also do this exercise until we reach 15 repetitions.
Sit-ups, therefore, require a greater effort on the part of the athlete but can also cause back problems if not performed properly. In this sense, they are not recommended for those who suffer from spinal problems.
