whats the difference between a crunch and a sit up?

Question

and why is the crunch supposed to be better?

Answer 1

A situp involves using the abdomen and stomach muscles to sit completely upright- chests to knees.

A cruch is simply bringing the shoulders and head off of the ground (not full sitting up).

The sit up takes more velocity and you probably use less muscles actively since you can use MORE muscles to get up easier. The crunch is more controlled, and you end up stressing just your abdomen muscles by bringing just the top of your body up like that, if that makes any sence.

Do 50 sit ups, and then 50 crunches. Its the 50 crunches that will burn.

Answer 2

Oh there are soooo many ways to work the abs! A crunch is when you only come up a little bit, when your shoulders just come up off the ground. The sit up is when you come all the way up from the floor.
So many people have back problems or neck problems now- that the crunch is more practical. The full sit up actually works all the abs better, as the going down really contracts the lower abs, especially when it is done slowly. I like to do these in my classes alot.

Answer 3

When doing sit-ups you go all the way up and if you're not careful you get momentum going and are not really doing yourself any good. With crunches you only go part way up, but pay attention to what you're doing by isolating the ab muscles. You should be able to feel it. Crunches are better because when done properly they put less stress on your back and neck which means less chance of injury.

Answer 4

When you do a crunch, you only come up part way as opposed to a sit up, in which you come up all the way. A crunch is supposed to be easier on your back.

Answer 5

crunches are more frequent, smaller sit-ups and sit-ups are full lifts where head nearly reaches the knees. Crunches are better because the range of the workout is more equaly distributed among the abs, while a sit-up's range is stressed on the lower abs because you go all the way.

Answer 6

Sit ups have been claimed to be bad for your back. Crunches require a smaller range of motion and typically enable you to do more reps and really feel the "burn."

Answer 7

crunches are easier.

Answer 8

idk. i guess they r basically the same. but i think that in a cruch u put ur hands on ur stomach, and in a sit up u put ur hands behind ur hed