Crunches vs Plank: Which One is The Most Effective for A Stronger Core?

Two of the most popular core exercises- crunches and planks. But, which one is better, is often a debatable question. There is no denying the fact that both these exercises involve your core muscles and work towards strengthening them. But, do they give the same results? Let’s find out.

What are Crunches?

Crunch is one of the most popular exercises focusing on the core area. It is a dynamic movement that demands you to bend your spine forward. When performed correctly, it engages all your abdominal muscles, focusing mainly on obliques and rectus abdominis muscle.

How to do Crunches?

Lie down on your back with your feet placed on the ground, hip-width apart. Now bend your knees and place your arms on the chest. Curtail your abs and inhale. Exhale as you lift your upper body while keeping your head and neck relaxed. Inhale deeply and go back to the initial position.

Read Also: How to Improve Flexibility? Stretches You MUST Do

Types of Crunches

There are 6 different types of crunches that you can perform to get a flat stomach. You can easily do these crunches at home.

1. Basic Crunch

Lie down straight on your back and bend your knees. Keep your hands behind the head and pull your abdominals inwards. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor along with the neck. Go back to the initial position after holding for a while.

2. Reverse Crunch

Lie down on the floor while keeping your hands behind the head. Start bringing your knees inwards and make a 90-degree angle. Now pull your legs towards your chest and crunch your abs. Go back to the starting position after holding for a while.

3. Crunch Twist

Place the knees on the floor in a flat position. Now bend them and bring your elbow closer to the opposite knee when you are about to perform your first crunch. Hold for a few seconds before getting back to the starting position. Try it with alternate sides.

4. Bicycle Crunch

Lie down on the ground and place your hands behind your head. Now lift one leg and bend it towards your stomach. Change the leg and perform a bicycle-like movement. When you have performed one with each of your legs, it becomes one rep.

5. Side Crunch

Side crunches exercise can make your love handles go away. They work on both internal and external oblique muscles. To perform it, lie down on your left side and keep your knees bent stacked together. Your body should be in a straight line. Rest your head on the mat or floor and fix your gaze towards your left arm. Your left arm would be extending out at your front and will be in line with your shoulder. Now curl your right arm up to the head and let your fingers touch the right ear. Gather your core strength and lift your upper body. Bring your elbows closer to your hips as much as you can. Lower down and then repeat. Do it with both sides.

6. Plank Crunch

It is performed sideways, so you can also call it side plank crunch. To perform it, start with placing yourself in a side forearm plank position. Balance yourself on one forearm with your legs stretched out. Keep yourself stack and lift the hips. Bend the leg at the top and raise it to your elbow level. All this while, your body will be in a straight line. Now bring down the knees and go back to the initial position. Perform around 3 sets of around 5-10 reps for good results.

One of the most popular questions asked in crunches is- do crunches reduce belly fat? The answer to it is, yes. When performed correctly, with the right technique and posture, crunches help in reducing the flab around your belly and shape your abdominal area.

What is a Plank?

A plank is a static hold that invokes isometric contractions of the spinal muscles. Plank workout is regarded as one of the finest exercises for the core muscles.

Plank Exercise Benefits

• Good for your core: It engages transversus abdominis, a set of core muscles that help you develop abs. Plank workout also focuses on the rectus abdominis to enhance sports performance. It also impacts obliques and helps you get the desired shape of the backside.
• Helps in improving posture: Since planks focus on your core area, they indirectly work on your entire body including your pelvic girdle to your shoulder girdle. It also includes your legs. Planks also help in strengthening your spine, abdominal muscles, and trapezius. Overall, it works on improving your posture.
• Provides relief in back pain: Since planks help in correcting the posture, somewhere they also help in reducing the back pain. An improved posture helps in aligning the vertebrate which reduces the unnecessary stress in the spinal region.
• Improves coordination: Plank exercise helps in enhancing coordination. It trains your muscles to be more stable. Since you are using your core muscles to maintain balance, you can expect better balance and coordination upon regular practicing of planks.
• Enhances flexibility: Unlike many workouts that help in improving strength and endurance, planks help in improving flexibility. It works on your posterior muscle group. This is inclusive of your shoulder muscles to the collarbone area to the shoulder blades. These muscles grow and stretch as you practice plank regularly.

Now, if you talk about planks vs crunches, here is something that you should take a look at:

Takeaway

The importance of supplementation and a balanced diet cannot be ignored. Always consume a nutritionally balanced diet. You can take the support of supplements such as whey protein or pre-workout to get enhanced results. MuscleBlaze offers a variety of quality bodybuilding supplements including protein supplements, pre-workouts, BCAA, Mass gainers, etc. You can try these out for better workout performance.