Face it- we all want a flat, sexy midsection. But for many of us no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me the following questions:
“I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?”
Well, before I reveal your six-pack abs blueprint, let’s first debunk some very important myths regarding how to get six-pack abs:
Myth#1- Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs
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 rock that coveted six-pack.
Myth#2- Do lots of ab work to preferentially burn off stomach fat
Spot reduction doesn’t work because 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.
Myth#3- Crunches and Sit-ups are the best exercises for your abs
21st century core training focuses on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension”
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 (or slow, steady state, long-duration cardio) 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.
BJ Gaddour, CSCS, YFS, is a local Milwaukee fitness boot camp instructor and real world fat loss expert. He is well known for his dynamic and engaging fitness presentations on such topics as “The Anti-Crunch 6-Pack Abs Solution” and “The Lies and Myths of Fat Loss.” To book him to speak at your local Milwaukee company, club, or organization please contact him by email at getsexybootcamps@
