Myths about getting six pack abs

We've all been at the gym doing countless sit ups and spending the last half hour of our workout on a special ab machine. You've done every ab exercise you've heard of but minimal results are seen. Why is that? I would like to go over some myths that might be hindering your results.

Myth 1: Doing Ab Exercises Gets Rid of Belly Fat

It only makes sense to workout the area you want to slim down but that isn't how it works. Sure doing abdominal exercises will strengthen your muscles and make them bigger but it wont make you lose that much fat or show off your six pack. We all have a six pack, its just some of us have a layer of fat that prevents it from being shown. The most effective way to get a six pack is to lower your overall body fat percentage.

The healthiest way to do that is with consistent exercise (cardio and weight training) and a healthy diet that consists of slow digestive carbs like wheat, brown rice, and whole grain, fruits, vegetables, and protein from lean meats. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water. The average male should drink 3 liters a day (about 13 cups) and the average female should drink 2.2 liters a day ( about 9 cups).

Myth 2: You Need To Do Hours of Cardio a Day

A classic myth that has to do with cardio is that you need to be doing hours and hours of cardio in order to get a defined six pack. Cardio definitely helps burn calories over time but you don't need to do hours of it at a time. The best way to do cardio is high intensity cardio for a short period of time. The harder you workout the more calories you burn every minute. Unlike slow and steady running, cardio at a high intensity revs up your metabolism for hours after your workout.

So you can be burning calories even when your sitting at your computer. You can find a bunch of high intensity workout plans like P90X or Insanity for a relatively low price, or you can go on the internet and find some exercises to do and create your own workout plan.

Myth 3: You Have To Train Your Abs Everyday

Please don't train your abs every day, it will most likely cause injury and it wont help your abdominals grow. Here is how building muscle works. First, I break down the muscle fibers in my abs via crunches. Second, now that my muscle fibers are broken down its time to rebuild even more muscle fibers than I previously had. It is important to rest the worked muscle 72 hours. Make sure to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep and have a proper diet with a good amount of protein to rebuild your muscles effectively.

Myth 4: People With 6 pack Abs Just Have Good Genetics

It's common to look at someone with a ripped six pack and say "dang, the've got some good genetics". But the truth is that person probably worked really hard to get that six pack by burning off fat. Most of us could get a six pack and nearly everyone could stand to lose some fat around their mid section. Whatever your goals may be make sure to accomplish them in a healthy way. The best way to lose fat is very simple. Have a clean healthy diet, work hard in the gym, and be consistent. Don't go on a hard core diet and workout in the gym for 2 hours a day only for a couple days because you won't see any results.