“I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?”
Does this sound familiar?
Let’s face it, we all want a flat, sexy midsection. And when this becomes our mission, crunches and sit-ups are usually the first thing on our to-do list. But for many of us no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done.
Well, there is a reason the crunches are not getting you the flat belly of your dreams, but before I reveal your sexy abs blueprint, let’s first debunk some very important myths about how to get that coveted sleek tummy:
Myth#1- Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs
WRONG!
The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Let me further explain: your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to build a sexy metabolism: one that starves fat and builds muscle like clockwork.
By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to achieve your dream set of abs.
So if you lose 17 lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good looking muscle tone. But if you lose 17 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or gain lean muscle mass you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose primarily body fat.
The scale has far too many variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations
such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for us women our menstrual cycle. I firmly believe one should NOT keep a scale at their home- it can be such an anchor. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate< progress tracking.
Myth#2- Do lots of abs work to preferentially burn off stomach fat
WRONG!
Spot reduction doesn’t work. Working the muscles of a certain area (i.e. the tummy) will not make the fat in that region go away. Take a look around; almost everyone does crunches so wouldn’t you expect to see nothing but people with flat tummies? Think about it, or better yet if you are in a public place right now, have a quick glance around. How many people do you see on a regular basis whom have more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. See what I mean- spot reduction doesn’t work!
See, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. So your best bet is to focus on burning as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Compound, multi-joint movements like squats,
push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to presses) burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. So be sure to focus on these movements first and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work to please the abs training Gods.
Myth#3- Crunches and Sit-ups are the best exercises for your abs
WRONG!
The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.
So, we focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital-front to back, frontal- side to side, and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your superficial ab muscles, these
bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these inner ab muscles is the key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention, yet another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.
Myth#4- Do lots of long-duration cardio to burn the fat covering your abs
Both scientific research and real world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn’t work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan. In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise. Please note that you can perform both resistance interval training and cardio interval training to combine the best of both worlds. More on this to come!
So just how do you go about getting that flat sexy stomach you covet?
Check back in tomorrow for your sexy Abs blueprint.
Stay focused,
Sarai D. Jones