One of the most misunderstood parts of working out and getting into
shape happens to be sculpting the abs. A shocking number of people still
have the belief that if you want to lose weight and have a six-pack you
have to spend all of your time doing sit-ups and crunches. This is some
very old-fashioned and wrong thinking. The people who follow this myth
believe that spot reduction is possible. They believe that by working
out the abs, they will be able to melt away the fat around their
midsection and have the chiseled abs that they want. The body simply
doesn't work that way.
Why Spot Reduction is False
When you are losing fat weight,
your body removes it from all parts of your physique. That's why when
you measure the different parts of your body, all of them will be
smaller when you start dieting and exercising properly, and not just one
area. When the body needs the calories from the stored fat, it doesn't
care where it gets them. Thus, reducing fat in one area by exercising
that area solely just isn't going to work. It is a myth that has been
around for ages, and it probably will not disappear anytime soon.
However,
the opposite is true when you are adding muscle, and this may be why
some people are confused. Because you are working out certain muscle
groups, those muscles repair and grow while muscles you ignore will not.
You have to remember that muscle and fat are very different, and the
addition and reduction of either doesn't work the same way. Spot
reduction for fat loss in the abs (or any area of the body) does not
work; building muscle in one area does.
Do You Need Abdominal Exercises?
You may think that
since spot reduction is impossible that you do not need to have any
abdominal exercises in your routine. That's not true though. Once you
start losing weight and seeing your abs, you will see that they still
need to have some work. You want to have a strong and aesthetically
pleasing torso, and that means you still need to do those crunches and
leg lifts. These exercises will help to condition the abdominals as well
as to give them that sharp look that you want to have. However, the
biggest factor is still going to be your diet and the cardio that you
do.
Best Way to Sculpt the Abs
The best way to get
killer abs is to make sure that you add quite a bit of cardio activity
to your week. You want to sweat and burn fat. You also need to make sure
that you are eating properly, and that means you have to stay away from
junk food and fatty foods. Have a good all around exercise routine and
eat healthy foods. Just as with all forms of weight loss, this is what
you need to have in order to be successful when you are trying to have
great looking abs.
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