One of the exercise trends that has changed is the way personal trainers and fitness coaches are thinking about abdominal exercises. Most people still think that the “good” abdominal exercises fifty years ago were considered the best way to build your abs.
Actually sit ups and crunches are not as effective as most people have thought. Personal trainers have known this for years, but many people still think these are good abdominal exercises. Sit ups are relatively effective, but almost nobody does them correctly and it’s a difficult exercise to replicate. So you might be doing them right one day, and wrong the next – but the way you’re doing them makes no difference!
The reason sit ups are not such a good exercise for the abs is because even the smallest change in posture can shift the focus of stress away from your abs to your hips or back. Back strain is a major risk when you’re doing abdominal exercises, so remember to stop if you feel your back hurting. If your back is hurting then you are doing almost no benefit to your abs, because you are using your spine to pull your body.
Too many women and people who want to lose weight around their belly buy into the “many reps, long sets, low weight” strategy, which works for the calves, arms and thighs. However, this is not the most efficient way to burn fat and many people are doing great abdominal exercises, but they are doing them inefficiently! To really burn fat in the abdominal area, you first need to target the transverse abdominis (the deepest of all your abdominal muscles) by performing slow, intense exercises with long intervals.
This may sound like a collective training strategy, but try it for yourself and see what happens! Skip the sit ups and try doing bicycle kicks while lying on your back. Use your abs to lift your hips slightly off the ground, and rotate your legs in slow, controlled bicycle-pedaling movements. The slower you do these while maintaining your position, the faster you’ll develop your deep abdominal muscles and the easier it will be to burn that surface fat.
When it comes to getting great abdominal exercises, most people overlook a tried and tested strategy: water exercises. It can be difficult, but if you stand up to your chest in water and keep your core centered so you don’t drift or lose your balance, you can actually burn some fat! Once you have a comfortable position that won’t allow you to lose your footing, extend your arms out to either side and form your hands into the pedals. Slowly rotate from side to side, using your lower abdominals to release the tension.
This, and other core water exercises, are all great abdominal exercises that will help you burn fat on the sides of your abdomen, on your hips, and of course, your belly. Give it a try the next time you’re at the gym or pool. You’ll find that the number of reps it takes to burn fat in water is much less than on land, where all you’re working against is gravity and your own resistance.
Remember, if you want to get a good abdominal exercise that will actually help you burn fat and build muscle, stay away from sit ups! Rather find abdominal exercises that work well for you and achieve the goals you set. Don’t be afraid to challenge what you know about exercising – most people who do get incredible results!
Source by John Ripper
