Troy Hurst holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Carroll University. He is a physical therapist specializing in both athletic and vestibular rehabilitation with an emphasis on performance running.
The bodyweight crunch is a popular core exercise, but no singular exercise is a magic pill to lose weight or gain muscle. That said, what is the bodyweight crunch good for, and how can you supplement it to make your core stronger, sleeker, and more toned?
The bodyweight crunch with a few variations and supplementary exercise can certainly make a difference. Let’s show you how crunches may benefit you before sharing the proper technique, with variations and supplementary workouts.
Some of the benefits of the bodyweight crunch include:
With this in mind, let’s learn how to do bodyweight crunches and a few supporting exercises.
A bodyweight crunch is a traditional core exercise famous for the potential benefits discussed above. However, let’s compare the crunch to other exercises, understand how many repetitions you need to see improvement, and focus on doing bodyweight crunches with proper form and pacing.
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Sit-ups use more muscles than crunches and go through a greater range of motion. This makes them slightly more challenging for most. The crunch exercise primarily works the internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominis (4). On the other hand, a sit-up activates the rectus abdominis, external obliques, hip flexors, rectus femoris, and iliopsoas muscles (3). This demonstrates that while the sit-up activates more muscles, it relies much more heavily on the hip flexor muscles, while the crunch is more isolated to the abdominal musculature.
Consider what you need to do to tone your abs. A small randomized trial in Illinois found that six weeks of abdominal exercises alone weren’t enough to reduce deeper abdominal fat but could improve endurance in the abdominal muscles (13).
However, the study was small, and more research is necessary. Merriam-Webster defines toned as having firm muscles and taut skin (16). In that case, crunches could help you tone your abs. Still, losing fat isn’t as simple as doing crunches alone, even 100 of them.
For a flabby belly, you should aim for a daily calorie deficit of at least 500 and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio weekly to burn fat (2, 7). You must also eat lean protein, complex carbs, whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits to burn fat and build muscle (5).
Crunches activate a small subset of the overall “core” musculature. Specifically, crunches work the muscles used to flex the spine, but do not address the equally (or more) important muscles that work in the other planes of motion.
Although a varied strengthening program is most effective, it’s important to understand proper form and pacing for this entry-level exercise so you can get a jump on improving your abdominal strength and endurance without putting yourself at risk of injury.
Nicole Campbell from the Mayo Clinic recommends doing crunches with the following form to reap the most benefits from the exercise,while minimizing injury risk (17).
Bodyweight crunches, while beneficial, are not sufficient for comprehensive abdominal toning. It is essential to incorporate cardiovascular exercises, maintain a balanced diet, and integrate a diverse range of core exercises to effectively sculpt all abdominal muscle groups. To begin, let’s explore various exercise variations and identify the specific muscles they engage.
The reverse crunch works the obliques, rectus abdominis (6-pack), and transversus abdominis muscles, the last of which the regular crunch doesn’t activate much (9). The variation also targets your hips similar to the standard sit-up (3).
A Spanish review found that the side crunch on a Swiss ball was one of the best core exercises to activate the internal obliques and rectus abdominis muscles (4).
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Research suggests you shouldn’t overdo crunches because of the spinal flexion (15). Instead, complement your workouts with other core exercises and use workouts that target the glutes, hips, and other surrounding lower body muscle groups you’d like to tone with your abs.
Bodyweight squats could help you tone more than your core muscles and are an effective lower body workout. Squats target the glutes, calves, inner thighs, hamstrings, obliques, pelvic floor, and abdominal muscles (14). It’s an excellent supplementary exercise.
A glute bridge is another fantastic exercise for a lower body toning workout. The glute bridge targets your glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, and transversus abdominis (8). Using a resistance band around your knees adds additional resistance for your hips.
Toning your lower legs can also give you a sleeker look while you improve your core with other exercises. Try the standing calf raises to target your calf muscles right down to the ankles (1). Toned legs could certainly supplement a tight butt and sleek core.
Sit-ups target the obliques, rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and rectus femoris (3). However, let’s show you a variation that simplifies sit-ups for beginners. Still, you’ll work on the core muscles to supplement your toned ab goals.
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Doing 30 crunches a day can be a good part of a healthy exercise plan. However, you’ll need a calorie deficit and cardiovascular training with your resistance training if weight loss is your goal (2, 7). Also, eating lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits will help you burn fat (5).
Merriam-Webster defines toned as having firm muscles with taut skin (16). Fortunately, a small study found that six weeks of abdominal exercises can build muscular endurance (13). It won’t burn belly fat, but you’ll strengthen and firm the abs for a toned look. Eating fewer calories than you burn and supplementing with other forms of moderate to high intensity exercise will help you burn belly fat (2, 7).
A small randomized trial at North Dakota State University found that calisthenics may be as effective at building strength and mass as the traditional bench press (6). Progressive push-ups were compared to the bench press. However, the progressive overload is why the two can be compared. More research is necessary.
Crunches are scrutinized for stressing the anterior spinal vertebrae and discs with limited bending cycles (10). In other words, crunches aren’t the safest core exercise for people with back problems. Avoid crunches if you suffer from back problems, and add other core exercises to your workout to tone your abs if you do only a few crunches daily.
The bodyweight crunch is a foundational exercise for core strengthening, yet it achieves optimal results when integrated with a diverse regimen. Adhering to correct technique is paramount to maximize the efficacy of the movement and to minimize risk of injury. For comprehensive fitness outcomes, include a wide range of exercises to work the major muscle groups needed with the functional movements of daily life. If weight loss is your goal, incorporate a well-balanced, calorie deficit diet, cardiovascular training, and other forms of daily activity.
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