Whether you want to be stronger or make your body summer-ready to show off sexy packs, working your core is the way to go about it.

Our core comprises of groups of muscles that serve as a foundation for our overall body. These muscles make up our chest, abs, back, and hips – supporting everything from balance to good posture.

So a strong body means a stronger core. Abs are a key set of muscles in the group, and two of the exercises that promise the quickest results are planks and crunches.

Are you unsure which one of them will work for you? I have examined them here, so you don’t have to sweat yourself over which is the right option to get coveted sick packs.

Planks vs. Crunches: A Faceoff

People love to compare different exercises in the fitness world. Crunches and planks are also one of them. Both workouts have their merits. While some people love the sweet agony of holding a plank, others prefer crunches for muscle activation.

Planks are isometric exercises because you hold a fixed position. Compared to that, crunches are concentric-eccentric exercises because your muscles undergo a range of motion.

I’ll compare both exercises on a set of criteria so you can decide which is right for you.

Impact on Muscles

Planks engage more muscles than crunches and give a holistic workout regarding muscle activation and muscle work. They do a better job at strengthening your core and improving overall performance.

Contrarily, doing crunches every day a week can improve abdominal strength and stabilize the midsection, but it doesn’t reduce the circumference around your abdomen.

Time Required

All it takes is 10 seconds in a plank with repeated intervals to have a lasting effect on your abdominal and core muscles. Many fitness gurus also consider it unnecessary to hold a plank for a minute or more.

On the other hand, scientific studies show that it takes 250k crunches to burn only one pound of fat. Additionally, you’ll have to add other cardio exercises to your routine to achieve your dream of having six packs.

Targeted Muscles

Crunches target the obliques and abs, whereas planks target the glutes, abs, obliques, lower back, and shoulders. It means you get all the benefits crunches offer and more.

Risk of Injury

According to studies, planks reduce the risk of core injury. They build endurance, stability, and extra strength while protecting the lower back from stress.

In contrast, crunches can increase the risk of back injury. Occupational therapists suggest that any compression in the lower back over 3,300N can lead to higher rates of lower back injury, and crunches surpass that limit.

Types of Upgrades

The beauty of planks is that you can try different plank variations. Whether you want to try side planks, dips, or mountain climbers, all target many core muscles.

Though there are various crunch variations, you can do butterfly sit-up variations to improve your range of motion for better results. You can sit up, drop your knees to the sides, and then crunch to touch your toes.

If you love to challenge yourself, try the hand-reach plank variation. Come in a plank position while reaching one of your hands out. It will fire up your core and increase abs muscle by 20% compared to a crunch.

But The Truth of The Matter Is…

We can’t really compare crunches and planks. Crunches may not target all the groups of muscles like planks do, but they work in isolation to target the upper rectus abdominis. They’re perfect for someone who only wants to specifically target work on their abs.

Fortunately, both exercises complement each other to a certain extent, so you can mix and match them in your fitness routine. That said, I’d suggest never skipping planks because you can get away with not doing crunches, but planks are critical to building core.

Some days require paying attention to a single muscle, and crunches are perfect for honing your abs. They make sense as you progress and level up to advanced training, where you need to give more volume to abs in isolation.

If you feel like planks don’t activate muscles as much, you can slide a few sets of crunches every week into your workout routine.

Benefits of Planks

Even though you’re not moving, planks require lower and upper body engagement. Planks offer the following benefits:

• Strengthen Core:Planks activate core muscles which are the foundation for most of the movements we make throughout the day. A stronger core guarantees a healthier life. Planks work your core on the back and the front side of your body.
• Reduce Lower Back Pain: Planks support the lower back by preventing strain. The strengthening and alignment of spinal erectors lower the pressure on the lower back. Combined with stronger abs, planks take the burden off your lower back.
• Improve Posture:Planks also improve posture by working core muscles. It’s a recommended exercise for those working at the desk for long hours. If you’re one of them, you can improve your posture with planks to work rhomboids, spinal erectors, traps, and abdominals.
• Burn Calories:Planks also burn calories without having to move. You engage multiple muscles to stay in a fixed position, increasing your heartbeat and pumping more blood into your body. Ultimately, it burns a good few calories.
• Increase Flexibility: Many people may not know this, but planks can also improve flexibility. This is why plank is a key part of yoga sessions. They improve shoulder flexibility.

Benefits of Crunches

As concentric-eccentric exercises, crunches also offer multiple benefits, including:

• Improve Stability: Crunches target abdominal muscles, which are partially responsible for keeping us upright and stable during movement. Crunches increase endurance so ab muscles can perform better. This helps us carry out our regular activities.
• Abs Isolation:Crunches work effectively as an isolation exercise for abs. You can chisel your six-packs and have a sexy-looking stomach area. The stronger your abs are, the better you’ll be at doing daily chores.
• Burn Calories:Crunches, if performed correctly, can burn a good number of calories.

My Top Picks for Plank Boards and Crunch Coasters

If you want to amp up your workout routine, you can try plank boards and crunch coasters. These are excellent core workout tools to challenge yourself.

Stealth Abs + Plank Core Trainer

Stealth Abs And Plank Core Trainer is a portable fitness board that will take your core training up a notch. You can play games in plank to burn more fire in your core. The fitness app is free to use, and you can track your progress in real-time.

This plank board equipment lets you challenge and compete with anyone. The multi-directional plank board lets users have a 360-degree experience so users can move from different angles while playing fitness games.

GoSports Core Hub Plank Board

GoSports Core Hub Fitness Plank board allows users to integrate smartphones for a total-body workout. This pivot plank also allows 460-degree motion, so you can target different groups of core muscles.

You can play interactive videos and fitness games during the plank. It makes planks fun and more challenging. The portable design makes it perfect for people on the go.

Alemoir Abdominal Crunch Coaster

Take your crunches game up a notch with Alemoir’s foldable abdominal crunch coaster. This crunch coaster is perfect for focusing on ab muscles without causing strain on the back or neck.

This crunch coaster is beginner-friendly, and its curved track is similar to our natural spinal flexion, allowing abdominal lift perfectly. The seat is adjustable to ensure maximum comfort for the users. The digital counter lets you track your workout at home.

Alemoir crunch coaster is suitable for home gyms as you can fold it when you’re not using it.

XtremepowerUS Ab Crunch Coaster

If getting exceptionally toned abs is your goal, then XtremepowerUS Ab Crunch Coaster is the right equipment. This is a portable ab machine that tones your abdominal muscles.

It tones your abdominal region with crunch exercises. The machine has a multi-angle adjustable seat to make exercises easier so you can say goodbye to your love handles.

XtremepowerUS crunch coaster is suitable for everyone regardless of their fitness level. The machine is easy to assemble at home. Its compact and sleek design makes it suitable for compact and cozy home gyms.

The Final Words

Planks and crunches are both core workout exercises. However, planks target all abdominal and core muscle groups, whereas crunches work better when you want to target abs muscles in isolation. Both exercises also improve your stability and mobility while burning many calories.

Crunch coasters and planks are fitness equipment tools that can make core workouts more challenging and fun. The aforementioned fitness tools add a perfect balance of challenge and fun to your core workout while tending to different muscles. You can alternate them to spice up your workout routine.