Toning Your Abs - Common Exercise Myths

Toning Your Abs - Common Exercise Myths

1. The “Chew Then Crunch” Myth

Crunches are good exercises for toning the abdominal muscles and stomach when done correctly and combined with a low-fat diet. No matter how many people think, they can continue to eat whatever they want and end their day with 100 crunches to “work off” all the bad stuff they put in their body throughout the day.

If you don't lower your fat intake by watching what you eat, it doesn't matter how many exercises and crunches you do. Not only will you not see results, but you may also see an enlargement of your stomach!

This is because you are building muscle under the existing fat. We all have flat stomachs, it's just that some have layers and layers of fat on the muscle that we need to get rid of first.

You need to lose the existing fat first by exercising and toning your stomach and abdominal area.

I had this problem when I started training. I didn't lower my calorie or fat intake much, but I started doing crunches. For three months, I did my 8-minute ab routine like clockwork. I couldn't understand why I wasn't seeing any results. In fact, my stomach stuck out even more.

After reading a lot, I realized that if I wanted to see the results I wanted, I would also change my diet.

2. The number myth

25 good, quality crunches are much better than 250 half-finished crunches. Many people just want to get it over with, so they lie down and do as many quick crunches as they can without losing quality.

It's best to perform 4 sets of 20 to 25 firm crunches while resting 90 seconds between each set. This is a much more effective way to work your abs than doing 250 lackluster crunches in a row.

3. The spot toning myth

This is the one that frustrates me. I have always been very thin and recently gained weight in my hips and thigh area. I welcomed the extra pounds because it gave me a curvier figure. Unfortunately we also had a slightly flabby stomach.

I wanted to keep the hips and thighs but lose the stomach, so I started training my abs and abs through Pilates and crunches.

Well, I didn't see any results. While reading, I realized that you can't just tell by tone, because if you only focus on one area (i.e. the stomach), you won't increase your metabolism enough to burn the extra belly fat. So the key to flattening your stomach area is to increase your body's metabolism so that it can effectively remove those layers of excess belly fat.

A full body exercise is the key to slimming your waistline.

4. The six pack myth

Whether you are a man or a woman, we would all love to have that solid six pack abs to show off when we are by the pool, right? What most people don't realize is that getting tight abs doesn't start in the gym, it starts in the kitchen. If your body contains a lot of fat, your abs won't show up no matter how much you exercise.

Your first goal should be to lose this fat, and it starts with your diet. Reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume and increase the amount of protein. Protein is an absolute necessity for losing fat and building muscle.

5. The ongoing myth

Did you know that running does very little when it comes to toning your stomach? This is because your pelvis can pull forward and arch in your lower back.

Don't get me wrong, running is good for you and can burn a lot of calories, but if you don't do other stomach toning exercises in conjunction with running, you will see little to no results.

Conclusion

Hopefully you've learned that flattening your stomach isn't about doing 100 crunches a day. It's about total body fitness and changing your entire diet.

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Inspired by Lisa Irby