Longevity is not necessarily the best yardstick for greatness. Just because a lot of people are still doing something doesn’t necessarily mean you should too. Take one of the most common exercises in the weight room, for example: the crunch.
This universal core workout staple has passed from one commercial gym to another, as countless users have performed millions of reps in hopes of sculpting a ripped six-pack. But all that effort will likely fall short. Crunches are not a good exercise.
Now that we know better, no matter how many reps you think you can do, the path to a six-pack isn’t with this overrated exercise, according to men’s health fitness manager Ebenezer Samuel, CSCSY Mathew Forzaglia, NFPT, CPT, founder of Force Fitness.
“The tummy tuck just isn’t worth it,” says Samuel. “The truth is that fitness moved away from abs a long time ago because it’s not really a good way to work your abs.”
Why you shouldn’t do crunches
Here are three reasons why you should stop wasting time and reps on crunches.
Sit-ups can strain your neck
No matter how disciplined you think you are doing your crunches, most people lead the movement with their neck. This is putting more stress on your neck flexors than your core is actually exerting, and forcing your neck to bear most of the load isn’t ideal at all, especially when the goal is to compromise your abdominal strength.
Sit-ups are not effective for spinal flexion
A strong core relies on excellent spinal flexion throughout the entire spine, from the thoracic to the lumbar region. Getting the abdominals to penetrate the spine at full flexion is essential to building abdominal strength. Yet again, all the work your neck does during your sit-up session takes away from any real spinal flexion. So, again, what’s the point of performing them religiously (or at all)?
Abs are too easy
You’ll never really challenge yourself with crunches until you start doing a ton of reps, and that’s just ineffective. An ideal target range should be in the 10-15 rep range, which should push your abs enough to start building the strength you’ve been working for.
“If you can lay down there and do 1,000 sit-ups and you’re going to tell me you did 1,000 sit-ups, I’ll tell you you probably don’t have a six pack,” says Samuel.
3 Crunch Alternatives to Train Your Six-Pack
Instead of sit-ups, try these three proven ab exercise alternatives.
●Hanging Leg Raise (or Knee Raise)
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Focus on bringing your glutes forward during the contraction phase of this hanging movement and you’ll almost always get solid ab compression rep after rep, no matter which leg lift option you prefer. The positioning of this move allows you to reinforce your core, which really allows you to work that full six pack.
3 sets of 30 second holds
Hollow holds shift the focus to isometric contractions, forcing you to hold down your desired spinal flexion without compromising your neck. Instead, the position reinforces tight central control. “Imagine taking the hardest part of a well-done sit-up and just holding it for 30 seconds or 45 seconds,” says Samuel. “That’s what you’re doing on hold and that’s why it’s such a great option.”
●V-Up
If you really want to challenge your core in a way that crunches can’t, you should try the V-up. Think hollow grips with even more spinal flexion and you get the V-up. This exercise is all about reaching up and creating a ton of spinal flexion as we bring our hands and feet up at the top of the movement, then drop back down to that starting hollow grip position. “What I love about the V-up is that, like the hanging leg raise, we’re taking one aspect of that lower abdominal work and then [with] the hollow grip and we’re taking that spinal flexion from the upper abdominal work and we’re doing a more dynamic movement that brings them together,” says Forzaglia.
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