Ab Stabilization Vs. Crunches

Defined abdominals are the envy of millions throughout the world. The abdominals are a complex muscle group and serve many functions. If you want rock hard abs that look great at the beach you should focus on crunches. Crunches will isolate the abdominals, resulting in muscle definition. However, to improve athletic performance you should focus on stabilization exercises for which you use your entire body with the goal of keeping your abs stable.

  1. Function

    • Your abdominals include the rectus abdominis -- the “six-pack” muscle -- the external and internal obliques, and the transverse abdominis. Each muscle has individual functions, but they also work together as a whole. Your rectus abdominis flexes your lumbar spine to perform a crunch. Your oblique muscles help you bend and twist. Your transverse abdominis is like a corset around your midsection which provides compression and support for your lumbar spine.

    Crunches

    • Crunches will mainly work your rectus abdominis. To execute, lie on your back with your knees bent. Brace your abdominals and lift your upper back two to three inches off of the floor. Keep your chin tucked back to avoid straining your neck and gently return to the floor. If you choose to do weighted crunches, pick a weight you can only complete eight to 12 repetitions with before reaching muscular failure. This repetition and weight range will give you the greatest results for hypertrophy -- the scientific word for muscle growth.

    Stabilization

    • Stabilization is drastically different from hypertrophy. Athletes rely heavily on stabilization to increase their athletic performance. The journal “Sports Medicine” defines abdominal stabilization as your body’s ability to control your trunk over your pelvis to allow optimum production. Stabilization exercises are more global than crunches, using many parts of your body with a focus on keeping your abdominals rigid. An example of abdominal stabilization is the plank exercise, in which you lie face down and balance on your toes and elbows. For an increased challenge, planks can also be completed on your side, balancing on one elbow and the side of your foot.

    Recommendations

    • It can be easy to get carried away when your goal is to improve your appearance. Hypertrophy has benefits aside from simply making you look good. Extra muscle mass supports your skeleton and protects your joints. Your training should be balanced to include all kinds of exercises, however. If you do crunches often, make sure you are working opposing muscles to create balance throughout your body. If any muscle becomes overdeveloped it can lead back pain and other physical ailments.