What's the difference between crunches and sit ups?
Question:
Answers:
Crunches exercise the upper and middle abdominal muscles (the 6-pack), whereas sit-ups exercise the upper abs and supporting muscles like the thighs and lower back.
Crunches are far more effective because they target more of the muscle group and are more intense.
To do a proper crunch, lay on your back, bending your legs at the knees. Clasp your hands in front of your chest (like saying a prayer) or hold your hands by your ears, exhale, and lift only your head and shoulders off the floor. Your back should remain on the floor, with your head and shoulders raised. Keep your neck straight, and do not pull with your neck. Concentrating on the abs, tighten the muscles and use only your abs to lift your head and shoulders. Inhale, and release back to the floor.
Picture: http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Exercises/Graphics/abdominal-crunches-top.jpg
To do a sit-up, lay on your back, bend your legs at the knees, and cross your arms over your chest. Exhale, and lift your entire torso off the floor, until your torso and your legs create a V position. Inhale and release back to the floor.
Because sit-ups require effort from the thighs, some people make the movement easier by having someone (or something) hold their feet down.
Picture: http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/images/SitUp2-200-249.jpg
You can make crunches more effective by doing them on an incline. Lay on a slanted surface with your feet above your head.
Picture: http://www.mindef.gov.sg/cyberpioneer/images/cvstory_feb03_img10.jpg
You can make crunches more effective by raising your legs and contracting your abdominal muscles.
Picture: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ripple11ebig.jpg
Other Answers:
the strain of your muscles seems to me
like crunches are when you come half way up and sit-ups are all the way up. Situps don't do any good. When you do an exercise you are supposed to contract the muscles at the height of the exercises. Situps don't contract the muscles, all you're doing is flexing them.
Do crunches and contract the stomach muscles for a second before returning.
If you want to work your lower abs, do a reverse crunch. Do your normal crunch but also bring your kness towards your stomach and contract the stomach.
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