Situps vs. Crunches: The Pros & Cons, From A Personal Trainer

Here, personal trainer Jason Williams, NASM-CPT, gives us the lowdown on the benefits and downsides of both so you can figure out which one is best for you.

According to Williams, situps provide a larger range of motion than crunches. They're great for targeting more than just your abs, including your low back, hips, chest, and neck. He adds that situps might be better if you're already an athletic person because they require some existing core strength to complete correctly.

If you have back or neck problems, situps unfortunately may exacerbate these issues. They present more risk for straining muscles in the low back and neck "because it can be harder to keep proper form," Williams notes. Additionally, some people may experience feeling dizzy if they forget to breathe or are moving too quickly, he adds.

As Williams explains, crunches are a more focused on the rectus abdominus, or upper abs. They'll work your obliques a bit as well. The shorter movement isolates those muscles, making it very effective. He adds that you can perform crunches slower, and many people find it easier to manage the form compared to with situps. For this reason, crunches are a bit more accessible.

While crunches do isolate your lower-abs muscles, you don't work additional muscle groups the way you do with situps. And, there's still the chance of neck injury here, so Williams adds, "The main thing to remember is not to pull on the neck."

Williams himself notes he likes to switch it up. At the end of the day, you can certainly try both to get a feel for which is better to you. Whichever you choose to incorporate into your next core workout, crunches and situps are both welcome additions with plenty of benefits.