Check out the 5 reasons why you should not do Crunches. They have been compiled by Critical Bench and they also offer an excellent selection of more effective alternatives.

5 Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches

“The world’s top strength and conditioning circles abandoned sit ups and crunches a decade Ago, establishing a more Intelligent and effective way for their athletes to develop powerful 6 pack abs!”

Source: Brian Jones on Unsplash

“The ‘crunch’ has been an exercise staple since the 1940s. The exercise recommended by late night TV commercials, magazines and wannabe fitness gurus at the gym.”

“But REAL fitness experts threw crunches as a serious exercise into the trash can YEARS ago, knowing the dangers and how ineffective they are.”

“Imagine your spinal discs – the discs which sit on top of each other to form your spine – were jelly doughnuts.

“These discs are made up of two parts, the nucleus pulposus – or the jelly center – and the outer, protective layer, the annulus fibrosis. Both parts help the disc move.”

“Now, because crunches put so much direct pressure on the discs at the point of the back where the crunches flex the spine.”

“Through wear and tear, it will cause the outer layer of the doughnut to wear away and the jelly – or nucleus pulposa – was being pushed through.”

“And that’s painful.”

“The fact of the matter is you should NEVER do crunches or sit-ups. And here’s why:

1. Crunches causes lower back stress.
2. Your spine has a shelf life. Crunches age your spine.
3. Crunches don’t aid good posture; they reinforce bad posture.
4. Crunches do not PROPERLY work your core.
5. And here’s the worst part…crunches DON’T work

This video will show you a set of alternative core exercises that can replace traditional crunches.

Add them into your training and take your abs and midline training to the next level.

Video – Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches

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Muscles of the abs and core

The muscles of the core are a group of muscles that play a large role in overall health and wellness. You probably know some of these muscles, such as the rectus abdominis (the “six pack” muscle), but there are several other important core muscles that deserve attention.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Rectus Abdominis

The rectus abdominis, also known as the “six-pack” muscle, is a long, flat muscle that runs vertically down the front of your abdomen. I

t’s composed of two muscles that run vertically (one on each side of the body) and are connected at either end. The upper portion of the rectus abdominis helps to flex or bend forward while keeping your back straight. The lower portion helps rotate your trunk to one side when you twist.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – External Oblique

The external oblique is located on the side of your body, running from your hips to ribs. Like other muscles in this region, it helps with side bending, flexing and rotating the trunk.

It also acts as a corset to compress abdominal organs, which can be helpful if you have diastasis recti (a separation between two of the six layers of abdominal muscle).

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Internal Oblique

The internal oblique is a muscle that runs along the side of the abdomen. It lies deep to the transversus abdominis and external oblique muscles and is one of three layers of abdominal muscles. The internal oblique helps flex, rotate, and stabilize the trunk.

• Internal Obliques: This muscle helps bend to either side by twisting at the waist. It also compresses your torso when you lift heavy objects or keep them close to your body as in weight lifting or carrying groceries in a bag across your chest or shoulders.
• External Obliques: This muscle assists with bending forward at an angle (as if reaching for something on a table) by rotating your torso from side to side while keeping you balanced so that you don’t fall over backward due to momentum from moving forward.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Transverse Abdominis

The transverse abdominis, or TVA, is the deepest of all abdominal muscles. It runs horizontally across your abdomen, wrapping around like a belt. The TVA is best activated when you’re doing exercises that require no movement from your back.

When fully contracted and braced, this muscle compresses your abdomen and helps to move air in and out of it during respiration (breathing).

As you might expect from its name—transversus means “across” in Latin—the transverse abdominis lies on top of other muscles in your midsection including those involved in lower back support and pelvic stabilization.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Lumbar Multifidus

The lumbar multifidus is a deep muscle that runs along the spine. It helps with posture and stability, spinal flexion, extension, rotation and lateral flexion, as well as spinal stabilization.

This muscle pulls your lower back into a curve when you’re sitting in a chair or standing upright. Without being able to do this your spine would be very straight and not able to support itself properly.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Quadratus Lumborum

The quadratus lumborum is located in the lower back and helps to straighten the spine. It also helps to rotate your torso and lift your rib cage during breathing.

Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches – Erector Spinae

The Erector Spinae is a group of muscles that run along the spine. These muscles attach to the vertebrae and pull them into proper alignment. They are responsible for extension of the spine, which happens when you arch your back, like when you’re stretching or reaching upward. When you’re walking or running, this muscle group also helps keep your posture straight.

If you have an injury or strain in this area, it can cause pain and discomfort throughout your body because these muscles help support other areas such as your neck and lower back as well as providing spinal mobility.

The muscles of the core play a large role in overall health and wellness

The muscles of the core are responsible for supporting your spine and pelvis. The term “core” is often used interchangeably with the abdominal muscles. But it actually refers to all of the muscles that make up your trunk, including those in your back, hips and pelvis.

The core plays a large role in overall health and wellness because it helps protect your body from injury by stabilizing each movement you make throughout life. Core stability also supports good posture that can help prevent back pain or discomfort.

The core muscles are important for good digestion since they provide control over how you bend forward or twist while chewing food (this is called lumbopelvic stability). Core strength also makes breathing easier by helping keep the abdomen stable as we inhale or exhale deeply—a process known as respiration assistance.

When building muscle strength through exercise programs designed specifically for this area, it’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when working out: Each person will have their own unique needs based on genetics or physical limitations such as joint problems like osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia.

Conclusion – Reasons Why You Should Not Do Crunches

In conclusion, the muscles of the core are an important part of overall health and wellness. For those who want to maintain their fitness or improve it, it’s important to understand how these muscles work together to provide strength and stability in everyday life.

Add these alternative core exercises into your training.