Abdominal Exercises and the common misconceptions
Anyone interested in fitness wants to have great looking abs – firm, rippled and well-toned, along with a trim waist. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist.
As you exercise, you consume energy measured in calories. Once the available energy in your body is depleted your body will start using stored energy to function. This energy is mostly fat deposits in adipose tissue.
Unfortunately this process is not selevtive. There is no way to choose which deposits your body will convert. That means, you can’t ‘spot reduce’ by working on your abs. You can still achieve the same effect, but the ab exercises does not only target that fat.
The actual outcome would be building new muscle mass and strength in that area. There are a number of reasons why that is helpful. It keeps a firm, strong layer of muscle which helps keep the stomach and other internal organs well inside the plane defined by your hips. You get a nice trim, flat look.
Abdominal exercises help in another way, too. Abdominal muscles are much larger that say your jaw muscles, and therefor they also consume much more energy. That means that as you work them, they have to be supplied with more energy to move through the range of the exercise. That burns many calories, resulting in weight loss and fat reduction .
You won’t find any drug or supplement that can safely or effectively be used as a substitute. Only moderate to heavy exercise on a regular schedule can achieve this. Right now you won’t find any shortcuts to a trim waist.
The effect is also limited by genetics and age. People differ, and some store fat around the waist more readily that others. Obviously your gender also makes a difference.
Hormone changes in many women in their 40s causes them to naturally develop a pouch in the lower abdomen. Many men will naturally develop ‘love handles’ at the side, since they store fat in adipose tissue there more readily in their 40s than they did in their 20s.
In order to achieve the desired effect you have to approach muscle fatigue . You don’t have to perform 100 crunches to achieve that, 20 will suffice if done correctly. There’s no need to even go to the gym. Office chairs are great for pelvic tilt exercises.
But for best effect, warm up and try the following:
Lie on your back, with your knees raised and cross your arms across your chest.
Then lift your shoulders off the floor and hold for 30 seconds.
By now you could already feel the effect on your abs.
To make the exercise more difficult, put your hands at the side of your head.
Don’t use your hands to lift your head, just keep them still.
Your hands should remain still and must not be used to lift your head.
For maximum effort, put your hands above your head, then perform the same shoulder lift and hold, focusing on the abs.
Feel the burn. Repeat daily for ten minutes or twenty reps. In a few weeks, you’ll see definite results.
Step by Step Blueprint to achieving Six-Pack Abs , by Training Advisor to Men’s Fitness Magazine, Todd Scott.
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