TheCrunches and Sit Ups have gotten a bad rap in the last few years. They are said to be worthless and even put you at risk for injury.
And when designing many of my workouts, I often even opt for other “core moves” over Crunches and Sit Ups because they give you more”bang for your buck, ” aka they work more, and bigger, muscle groups all at once to not only strengthen your entire core, but also burn more calories.
And while they won’t give you six-pack abs, especially if your diet isn’t on point, they do have value when used correctly.
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Plus, they sometimes are just freaking fun! There is just something about the ab and core burn that is produced by Crunches and Sit Ups that makes you feel good. (And sometimes working out should simply make you feel good!)
So here’s why you should do Crunches and Sit Ups and when you should include them. Plus 20 fun Crunches and Sit Up Variations!
As I said, often I’ll opt for more all-inclusive core moves when I include them in my strength workouts, especially when I’m short on time.
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For one, I want moves that work big muscle groups so I get more out of each movement. But two, I want moves that strengthen my body in a functional way and help teach my core to not only engage correctly, but also engage and work together in the proper sequence.
There are some Crunch and Sit Up Exercises that I’ve found that do work more than simply your abs that I like to include because they do give you more bang for your buck. They are also functional movements, or progressions of movements, that work on core engagement and even move your body in different planes of motion.
But even if you don’t choose to use those more functional, full-core Crunches or Sit Ups, there still is a time and a place for those more isolated ab exercises.
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During cardio workouts, especially interval workouts, Crunches and Sit Ups can be used as “active rest stations.” They make you keep moving while giving other areas of your body rest. Often they even let your heart rate come down while still working your abs. They aren’t an easy station, but compared to everything else, they are “rest.”
They also don’t have to be “active rest” stations during your cardio routine. They can also be a station where you really work, but may be included because you don’t want to simply keep burning out an area of your body. If you do a cardio workout, you may want to change areas worked with each interval. And to give your upper body or lower body rest, you can do an ab exercise. That way you can move quickly on each movement because an area gets to rest while another works and keeps your heart rate up until your rest interval.
Crunches and Sit Ups also DO have benefits for your core even though they are more isolated movements. Actually because they are isolated movements they can be a beneficial part of developing the mind-body connection that can lead to proper core engagement.
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It can be very hard for people to get their abs to engage correctly and some Crunches and Sit Ups can be great moves to teach you how to engage your abs correct because they are more isolated movements.
If you’ve ever struggled to keep your low back from working during core movements, there are certain Crunches and Sit Ups that can help. They can be great moves because they are simple and very isolated. They allow you to just focus on engaging your abs without any other moving pieces.
However, if you simply go through the movements with Crunches or Sit Ups, or any other core moves for that matter, while allowing your low back to take over, you won’t reap any benefits.
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Crunches and Sit Ups can be used to learn to engage your abs properly, and even help strengthen those deep core intrinsic stabilizers, as long as you focus on the correct muscles working during the movement.
Once you learn how to engage your abs correctly during crunches, you can then learn how to engage your abs and even brace your core correctly during other compound exercises and heavier lifts.
And the final big reason I like to include Crunches and Sit Ups throughout my workout programs is that they are simply FUN.
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There is something to the burn of those more ab-focused moves that just feels so good. And focusing on muscle groups, while you can’t spot reduce, can help build them to make them look better when combined with a proper diet and full-body workout routine.
So as long as you don’t spend all your time on Crunches or Sit Ups, and make sure to include lots of compound heavy lifts as well as crunchless core movements, Crunches and Sit Ups should be a part of a good workout program.
Make one small tweak to the Basic Crunch and you instantly get more out of the movement. While this move seems super simple and easy, the Heels Up Crunch is a great way to light up your abs and really even get your lower abs engaged and working.
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However, this move only works if you focus on driving your heels into the wall or down into the top of a box. If you don’t drive through your heels, you won’t engage your lower abs as much as you crunch up.
To do the Heels Up Crunch, lie on your back with your feet against a wall or on top of a box or bench. Bring your body in close enough to the wall or bench that your knees are bent to about 90 degrees. You can place your hands behind your head or keep your arms down by your sides. If you do place your hands behind your head, make sure you don’t yank on your neck as you crunch.
Then flex your feet and drive your heels hard into the box or wall. Engage your legs and your abs. Crunch your upper body up, trying to lift your shoulder blades up off the ground.
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Keep a space between your chin and your chest as you crunch up. You can either rest your head in your hands or reach your hands toward your feet as you crunch.
Another way to change up the Basic Crunch so it engages your lower abs more is by doing the Butterfly Stretch with your legs as you crunch up. By pressing your feet together with your knees wide, you will help engage your lower abs as you crunch.
To do the Butterfly Crunches, start seated and let your knees fall open as you bring the bottom of your feet together. With the bottoms of your feet together, bring your heels in toward your body. Exactly how close you bring them in will be dependent on your flexibility and hip mobility.
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Then lie back with your legs in the Butterfly Stretch. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows relaxed out wide. There should be a space between your chin and your chest as you relax your head in your hands.
Then crunch up, pressing your low back into the ground. Lift your shoulder blades up off the ground while keeping the space between your chin and your chest. Do not tug on your head with your hands to lift up higher.
So many people want to work on their “love handles.” And honestly, it isn’t bad to strengthen your core for every angle. Plus these just plan old BURN.
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To do the Oblique Crunches, lie on your back and bend your knees to place your feet flat on the ground. Then let your knees drop to one side and your feet come up. You may need to adjust positioning slightly and move your knees and feet a bit further away or closer to your body depending on your flexibility.
Then with your knees down toward one side, place your hands behind your head. Rest your head in your hands with a space between your chin and your chest. Keep your neck relaxed and don’t tuck your chin into your chest.
As you crunch up, do not tuck your chin, but feel your abs working to lift your shoulder blades up. Lower back down and repeat. You can even put one hand on the opposite side from your knees to feel your abs working as you crunch.
Abdominal Exercises If You Have A Bad Back
A common “trouble zone” that people want to work on is their lower abs. While you can’t spot reduce that area, ab exercise like the Lower Body Crunch can help strengthen and really target your lower abs.
They can also be used to help strengthen your lower abs to prevent low back pain. And, when included in a proper strength and cardio routine, can help you tone that common trouble zone!
To do the Lower Body Crunch, lie on your back with our hands behind your head or down by your sides. Engage your abs using the pelvic tilt and lift your legs up off the ground, bending your
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