Abdominal Training Misunderstandings

If you have ever watched TV ads about latest machines that will magically reveal your abs...

If you have ever read a fitness magazine...

If you have ever gone to a gym and saw people lying on the floor doing crunches....

then beware because chances are you are a victim of the two biggest abdominal training hoaxes!

Hoax # 1

Just doing some midsection exercises can reduce your "love handles".

Fact

You cannot reduce fat from a certain targeted area of your body just by using exercise alone.

And the abdominal area is no exception.

So if you want to get a flat stomach and to reveal your abs, losing the fat covering them is the way to go.

And the only way to do this is to lose fat proportionately from your entire body by burning more calories than you consume.

How? By doing these two things:

1) Have a healthy and balanced permanent diet: dark green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole wheat and whole grain products, non-fat dairy products, fish, poultry breast, lean red meat, egg white.

Yes, you should cut out all sugar, soda, non-whole grain products and saturated fats: these aliments should only be a reward for achieving a goal, not a habit!

2) Start exercising

Aerobic and weight training will raise your metabolic rate. In result, your body will burn more calories.

* aerobic exercising

3 times per week, practice an exercise that keeps your heart rate elevated for at least 30-45 minutes (ex: walking, running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, etc)

* weight training

Alternate days of aerobics with weight training. You will build muscles that will burn more calories, even when at rest!

Hoax # 2

You have to do tons of crunches.

Fact

Overuse of crunches can shorten your abs, pull your head forward and give you a bad posture. Do you really want to look like Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

Any standing exercise that will contract your abs will do but you should specifically target your lower back to strengthen the muscles that support your spine.

One exercise that's been around for years but isn't mentioned much these days is called the "stomach vacuum". Many people feel that it is very effective. Basically, it consists of sucking the gut in. Here's how it's performed.

1. Exhale. Suck your gut in.

2. Maintain the contraction for 10 to 20 seconds.

3. Repeat 10 to 15 times, as often as you like throughout the day (for example while in the shower, sitting at your desk, while driving or in the bus).

Reverse Crunches will also target the lower abs. To do these, lie on the floor with your hands at your sides, palms flat on the floor. Raise your legs and bend the knees, then just curl your knees toward your head, using the abs. The range of motion is small. Keep the movement deliberate, because if you begin to use momentum, the benefits disappear.

Time now for YOU to take action!

PS: As usual, do not forget to consult your doctor before starting any diet and exercise plan.