Difference between sit ups and crunches?

Question

& what are the benefits of each?

Answer 1

Sit ups are performed by flexing your hips so in order to sit up from a pronate position. Picture a side profile of your hips with your thighs in place in relation to your body. When in the "down" position of sit-ups, your thighs are in a straight line with your body. In the "up" position, your thighs are folded up in relation to your torso. Thought of it this way, it's obvious that sit-ups involve more the flexing of the hips, not the abdominals.

The abdominals are engaged minimally in sit ups, more as a function of keeping the torso straight during the movement. The abdominals have little active part in the movement itself. Sit ups have an added danger of over stressing the psoas muscles in your back, leading to back pains.

Crunches are performed correctly by curling you trunk by contracting your abdominals in order to bring your ribs closer to your hips. A good image is a picture of rolling your torso up.

As the movement involved in crunches require the shortening of the distance between the ribs and the pelvis, the abdominals play a large and active part in carrying it out, making crunches the more effective exercise for toning the abdominals.

Answer 2

For crunches, you just curve your body up slightly to where your chin meets your chest, clenching your abdominals. With sit-ups, your shoulders come off the floor, you sit fully up. One important thing about the difference no one has mentioned is that crunches are more than sufficient to work your abs intensely, whereas most of the work for a sit-up is done by your legs. You must do more sit-ups to get a comparable ab workout. Crunches are faster, and more effective at working the abs. That's why they became popular, as they're easier and faster and more effective for abdominal exercise. Sit-ups are old fashioned, and not very effective at working your abs. Schools can be caught in the 'we've always done this' rut and might not have progressed to crunches.

Answer 3

There are lots of different ways of doing sit ups, Each one works a different set of muscles. Crunches are more intense. Make sure you do the exercises properly to isolate the muscles that you want to . Get professional advice or you are wasting time and effort and can do more harm than good. Good luck.

Answer 4

I've heard that crunches are better for your back than sit-ups and do just as good a job because your abdomen muscles stop working once they've reached a certain position anyway. A full sit-up doesn't work the muscles once they've reached that position

Answer 5

sit ups= old fashioned way of doing it. where you lie flat on the ground, someone can hold your ankles (or not) and you litterly sit up to an upright position, then roll back down to the floor.
crunches = new way. where you are on your back, knees bent and you dont sit up, you bend your head forwards and raise just enough shoulder to seem like you would touch your chin to your chest, therefore "crunching up"... get it..

crunches are less stressful to the lower back, but you can gain the same benefit to the abdominal muscles

Answer 6

They are really the same except with crunches you lift your legs in the air and kind of bend your whole body. With situps your legs stay on the floors and you just lift the upper half of your body.

Crunches can be bad for your back if you get a dodgy back, if not I think crunches are better for the AB's.

Answer 7

nothing really

the thing is most people just simply dont have the muscle control required to concentrate on using their abs and not hips when doing a sit up annd so the hip muscles get more of a workout than the abs

whereas a crunch is simpler and takes the hips out of play....assuming its done correctly thaht is

both are good WHEN DONE CORRECTLY

Answer 8

In all honesty I wouldn't know, but I did some kind of crunches the other night and my ribcage has been hurting ever since.

So much for trying to tone my stomach. :-(

Good luck with yours.

Answer 9

with sit ups your feet stay on the floor
with crunches you lift your feet as you lift your upper body and "crunch" up your middle.

they both hurt like hell so they both must work!!

i think that crunches are better for toning your abs than sit ups but you probably won't be able to do as many as they are harder

Answer 10

just remember that there are 3 groups of muscles in the belly
lower... upper and obliques(sides). each must be targeted and done to failure for best results. (do until they burn and u can not do anymore) every 2nd day.