Crunches versus Situps
Crunches versus Situps. It’s the age-old argument between athletes who work out every day to stay in shape. What’s better, Crunches or Situps?
Whatever you choose to include as part of your daily work-out routine, both have positive and negative effects.
We have drummed together some ideas when considering either. These are designed and endorsed by some of the top athletes in the world today.
Note that excessive exercising can be bad for the body. You should never try out any of the following tips unless you have approval from a qualified GP or physiotherapist.
Sit-ups
The pros to sit ups are they work multiple muscles. Like Crunches, Situps don’t specifically target the stomach area. They tend to work the abdominals as well as other muscles groups within your body that include
- Chest area
- Hip flexors
- Lower back region
- The neck area.
Your muscle cells are more metabolically active than your fat cells. This means they will burn calories even at time of rest.
Sit-ups will enable you burn more calories in the long run. Strong core muscles can also help improve your overall posture.
A good posture can help improve your overall appearance without having to lose weight.The main con of Situps are injuries.
One of the main drawback to Situps is the possibility of lower back and neck damage injury. You should always seek advice from your GP if in the past you have experienced any related injuries.
This will help prevent strain.
How to perform a proper Situps
- Lie down gently on your back.
- Now bend your legs and place your feet firmly on the ground to stabilise the lower part of your body.
- Slowly cross your hands to opposite shoulders. You can even place them behind your ears without pulling on your neck.
- Curl your upper body all the way up toward your knees. Make sure to exhale as you lift.
- Now slowly lower yourself down while returning to your starting point. Make sure to Inhale as you lower yourself.
If you are a beginner, try and aim to complete 10 reps at a time. By hooking your feet together during any sit-ups, you can achieve a good workout for your lower legs.
Crunches
The pros to Crunches are Intense muscle isolation Like Situps, crunches also help you build muscle to the body. However, unlike Situps, they only work the abdominal muscles.
This type of intense muscle isolation is a popular type of exercise for people trying to achieve six-pack abs.
This is also perfect core strengthening which includes your lower back muscles and obliques. It can also improve your posture and body balance.
The cons associated with Crunches are exclusive to the core. While a strong core is certainly a good asset to your overall fitness, it’s not necessarily helpful to everyday movements.
Like Situps, Crunches are a good way for developing muscle. However, they don’t burn fat. Another thing to look at before crunching are your personal fitness levels.
While Crunches build up the abdominal muscles over time, they can cause significant back. This can be painful for beginners.
If you incorporate Crunches into your regular workout routine, it’s probably best to start off with a set of 10 to 20 at a time.
You can increase these sets as you get more used to it and as the body strengthens.
How to perform a proper Crunch
- A session is similar to that of the sit-up
- Slowly lie yourself down on your back.
- Now bend your legs and stabilise the lower part of your body.
- Cross your hands to opposite shoulders. Again you can place them behind your ears without pulling strain on your neck.
- Now Lift your head and shoulder blades from the ground. Make sure to exhale as you lift.
- Lower yourself slowly so you return to your starting point. Make sure to Inhale while lowering.
For beginners, start off with a set of 10 to 20 at a time. Increase as you get stronger.
Finally
Remember, Situps and Crunches are great ways in strengthening and developing core muscle.
Over a certain amount of time, a stronger body core can help improve your overall posture. It can also help reduce back injuries later on in life.
It is also important to point out that neither of these exercises burns fat to the body.
The only way to achieve a flat and muscular stomach is to combine these exercises with a low-calorie diet and regular fat-burning aerobic exercise.
