Are Planks or Crunches Higher for a Solid Core? Fitness Pros Set the Record Straight

When it involves strengthening your midsection, crunches and planks are considered the holy grail. However, these exercises goal your muscles in another way, and there are pros and cons to every.

Here’s the way to properly do each of those exercises, plus what you must consider when incorporating each into your routine.

Crunches

A standard go-to for ab workouts, crunches contract your abdomen to effectively construct muscle.

“This exercise targets the abdominal muscles specifically, allowing for the event of an outlined ‘six-pack’ through body weight resistance—which might be increased with weights,” says Stan Kravchenko, NASM-CPT, a private trainer and founding father of OneFit.com.

How to do it

Here’s the way to properly perform a crunch, in accordance with Kravchenko:

1. Begin by lying in your back along with your feet flat on the bottom, shoulder-width apart. Place your hands across your chest. Engage your core by drawing your belly button toward your spine.
2. Exhale as you lift your upper body (head, neck, and shoulder blades) off the bottom, crunching inward. The movement needs to be slow and controlled: Focus on engaging your abdominal muscles without counting on momentum or straining your lower back. Keep your neck relaxed, using your core to lift.
3. Once your shoulder blades are off the bottom, hold the position for one second, ensuring your lower back stays involved with the bottom to avoid strain.
4. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position while inhaling. Maintain smooth and controlled movements throughout.

Adjust your reps and sets based in your level.

• Beginner: One to 2 sets; six to eight reps each
• Intermediate: Three sets; nine to fifteen reps each
• Advanced: Four sets; 16 to twenty reps each

Muscles worked

A crunch largely focuses on the abdominal muscles, engaging fewer muscle groups than a plank.

“The crunch is easier than a plank,” says John Bauer, ISSA-CPT, a private trainer and content developer on the International Sports Sciences Association. “When done accurately, there’ll only be a small amount of spinal flexion that happens.”

These are the muscles which are worked during a crunch, in accordance with Bauer.

• Rectus abdominis: This is the first muscle involved in a crunch. It runs vertically along the front of your abdomen and is chargeable for flexing your spine.
• Internal and external obliques: These muscles are situated on the perimeters of your abdomen and assist in trunk flexion, together with trunk rotation and side bending. They contribute to the twisting motion often related to crunch variations.
• Transverse abdominis: This deep-lying muscle wraps across the abdomen and acts as a stabilizer, providing support and compression to your abdominal cavity in the course of the crunch.

Pros

The most blatant perk of crunches is their ability to strengthen your abdominal muscles.

“Crunches specifically goal the rectus abdominis muscles, helping to strengthen and tone the front of your abdomen,” Bauer says. “This can improve overall core stability and support spinal alignment.”

You can even mix up crunches with several different variations, akin to bicycle crunches, stability ball crunches, and reverse crunches.

“These variations let you goal different areas of the abdominals and add variety to your workouts,” Bauer adds.

It’s also easy to extend your resistance during crunches by holding a dumbbell or using a cable machine. That said, you don’t need equipment for crunches—one other major perk is that they might be performed anywhere using body weight to construct a six-pack (if that’s a goal of yours), Kravchenko says.

Cons

Even though most of us have been doing crunches since elementary school gym class, they’re commonly performed incorrectly. This can result in potential pain and strain.

“Improper form during crunches, akin to pulling on the neck or using excessive momentum, can result in neck strain or discomfort,” Bauer says. “It’s essential to deal with engaging the abdominal muscles and avoid pulling on the neck.”

If you will have weak core muscles or pre-existing back issues, chances are you’ll also experience lower back discomfort or pain, Bauer adds. It’s essential to take care of proper form and avoid overarching the lower back while you perform crunches.

Those with certain medical conditions like herniated discs or chronic back pain might have to avoid crunches or modify them to cut back strain on the back. Chat along with your doctor or a private trainer if you will have a condition which will affect your ability to perform crunches before you incorporate them into your routine.

Finally, you’ll goal fewer muscles with crunches than you’ll with a plank. “Crunches only goal the abdominal muscle, not all the core,” Kravchenko says.

“Crunches specifically goal the rectus abdominis muscles, helping to strengthen and tone the front of your abdomen.” —John Bauer, CPT

Planks

For a more comprehensive strengthening exercise, chances are you’ll prefer a plank over crunches. “Planks work all the core, engaging all of the muscles within the torso,” Kravchenko says.

How to do it

Here’s the way to properly perform a plank, in accordance with Kravchenko:

1. Lie in your stomach along with your forearms on the ground and your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Keep your feet flexed with the bottoms of your toes on the ground. Ensure your elbows are parallel to one another.
2. Engage your core by drawing your belly button toward your spine, tilt your pelvis barely, and contract your glutes. Press into your forearms and stand up in your toes. Keep your neck in a neutral position, ensuring your head and spine form a straight line. Avoid letting your hips sink.
3. Hold this position for a cushty duration, keeping your glutes and abdomen engaged throughout.

Adjust your reps and sets based in your level.

• Beginner: One to 2 sets; hold for 15 to 30 seconds each
• Intermediate: Three sets; hold for 31 to 60 seconds each
• Advanced: Four sets; hold for 61 to 120 seconds each

Muscles worked

“While the plank is thought for its core-strengthening advantages, it is vital to acknowledge that it isn’t solely a core exercise,” Bauer says. “Instead, it could actually be viewed as a comprehensive full-body stabilization exercise.”

These are the muscles which are worked during a plank, in accordance with Bauer.

• Rectus abdominis: This is the front abdominal muscle that runs vertically along the front of your torso. It helps to stabilize your spine and flex your trunk.
• Transverse abdominis: This is a deep-lying muscle that wraps around your abdomen. It acts as a stabilizer in your core and helps maintain abdominal pressure.
• Internal and external obliques: These muscles are situated on the perimeters of your abdomen. They help with rotational movements and side bending, supplying you with stability and support.
• Erector spinae: These muscles run along your spine and help maintain proper spinal alignment and stability.
• Multifidus: These small muscles situated along the spine provide support and stability to the vertebral column.
• Quadriceps: The front thigh muscles are engaged to assist maintain leg extension (straight knees) and support your body’s weight.
• Shoulder Stabilizers: The muscles around your shoulders and shoulder blades (akin to the deltoids, trapezius, and serratus anterior) work to stabilize your upper body and forestall your shoulders from collapsing.
• Gluteal Muscles: Your glutes, particularly the gluteus maximus, help to stabilize your pelvis and forestall excessive sagging of your hips in the course of the plank.

Pros

You can do planks anywhere to strengthen a wide range of muscles—irrespective of what level you’re starting at. “They’re great for beginners and those that are more advanced,” Kravchenko says.

Regularly practicing planks can even improve your posture by strengthening the muscles that support the spine. “This can reduce the chance of back pain and promote higher alignment,” Bauer says.

Plus, planks are a low-impact exercise that put minimal stress in your joints, which makes them a fantastic alternative if you will have joint issues or injuries.

Cons

Plans aren’t right for everybody, including those with existing shoulder, wrist, or back issues who may find planks uncomfortable or dangerous. “Modifications or alternative exercises could also be needed for those with specific limitations,” Bauer says.

Plus, though you may mix things up by trying variations like side planks and planks with leg lifts, chances are you’ll still find the “holding” element exhausting from a mindset perspective. “It might be mentally difficult to take care of one position for a very long time while maintaining good form,” Kravchenko says.

Finally, for those who’re trying to specifically construct your six-pack muscles, planks aren’t one of the best alternative because they don’t involve direct resistance in your abdominal muscles.

You can do planks anywhere to strengthen a wide range of muscles—irrespective of what level you’re starting at.

The bottom line

Both planks and crunches are effective strengthening exercises. However, a plank could also be higher for overall core stability and posture, while crunches are best for targeting your abs specifically.

That said, you don’t should select one over the opposite. If you don’t have limitations like back pain, you may work each into your workout by alternating between days: Perform planks someday and crunches one other day to permit enough rest for targeted muscles. Pay attention to maintaining proper form for each move and all the time take heed to your body.

If you experience pain or discomfort, talk with a trainer for guidance—or check along with your doctor if it’s related to an underlying condition.