Tone your abs: common myths about exercise

1. The “chew then mash” myth

Sit-ups are good exercises to tone your abs and stomach if done correctly and combined with a low-fat diet. However, many people think that they can continue to eat whatever they want and end the day with 100 sit-ups to “wash out” all the bad stuff they put into their body throughout the day.

If you’re not reducing your fat intake by watching what you eat, it doesn’t matter how many exercises and sit-ups you do. Not only will you see zero results, but you will actually see your stomach increase in size!

This is because you are building muscle underneath existing fat. We all have a flat stomach, it’s just that some have layers and layers of fat on top of that muscle that we need to get rid of first.

You must first remove that existing fat by training and toning your abs and stomach area.

I had this problem when I started exercising. I didn’t drop my calorie or fat intake much, but I started doing sit-ups. For three months in a row I did my 8 minute abs routine like clockwork. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t seeing results. In fact, my stomach started to stick out even more.

Well, after reading a lot I found out that I was going to change my diet too if I was going to see the results I wanted.

2. The myth of the numbers

Twenty-five good, quality crunches are way better than 250 half-done crunches. Many people only want to finish at once, so they lie down and do as many quick crunches as they can with no quality.

The best you can do is perform 4 sets of 20-25 solid crunches while resting 90 seconds between each set. That’s a much more effective way to train your abs than 250 mediocre abs in a row.

3. The myth of localized toning

This is the one that frustrates me. I have always been very slim and recently started gaining weight in my hips and thighs. I appreciated the extra pounds because they gave me a more curvy figure. Unfortunately, it also left us with a slightly flabby stomach.

I wanted to keep my hips and thighs but lose my stomach, so I started working out my stomach and abs doing pilates and sit-ups.

Well, I didn’t see any results. I found out through reading that you can’t just detect tone because if you only focus on one area (i.e. your tummy) you won’t boost your metabolism enough to burn off that extra belly fat. So the key to flattening the stomach area is to increase your body’s metabolism so that you can effectively get rid of those layers of excess belly fat.

A full-body exercise is the key to slim down your waist.

4. The myth of the Six Pack

Whether you’re a man or a woman, we’d all love to have that solid six pack to show off when we’re in the pool, right? Well, what most people don’t realize is that solid abs don’t start in the gym, they start in the kitchen. If your body contains a lot of fat, your abs won’t show no matter how much you exercise.

Your first goal should be to lose that fat and start with your diet. Decrease the amount of fat and calories you eat and increase the amount of protein. Protein is an absolute must for shedding fat and building muscle.

5. The myth of running

Did you know that running very recently when it comes to toning your stomach? This is because it can cause the pelvis to move forward and the lower back to arch.

Don’t get me wrong, running is good for you and can burn a lot of calories, but if you’re not doing any other stomach-toning exercises alongside running, you’ll see little to no results.

Conclution

Hopefully you’ve learned that flattening your stomach isn’t about doing 100 sit-ups a day. It is about a good physical shape and a change of diet in general.

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