Workout Wednesday: Awesome Abs

Who doesn't want rock solid, flat, six-pack, sexy abs? Tell me. Seriously. I can't think of anyone who would say, "no thank you, I prefer my flabby fat belly." Unfortunately there are a lot of people who don't understand how to get well-defined abdominal muscles. Many people waste hours of their life doing hundreds of crunches with zero results. Many people also spend hundreds of dollars on fancy contraptions that supposedly flatten and firm your their abs, but those products never deliver. Don't let yourself become one of these people.

First step to great abs is doing some great cardio. Run, bike, or swim. I don't care. Just get doing at least 20 minutes of intense cardio three times a week. Why? Well, because everyone has some pretty good abs, but the problem is that they can't be seen through a thick layer of fat. The best way to burn fat is cardiovascular exercise. There is no such thing as localized fat reduction. Doing crunches WILL NOT burn stomach fat, doing squats WILL NOT burn butt fat, and doing tricep presses WILL NOT burn arm fat. Those are muscle building exercises, not fat burning exercises. I cannot emphasize enough that the best way to burn fat is cardiovascular exercise. When you do cardio you burn fat from all areas of your body (including that stubborn tummy fat).

In addition to cardio, one must have a lower calorie diet in order to burn away those inches of fat. If you consume too many calories, your body will just store them as extra fat. If you consume less calories than you use, your body will turn to it's fat reserve for more energy. So make sure you are eating a lower calorie diet in addition to cardio for effective fat loss.

So now you realize that doing hundreds of crunches a day wasn't helping you get those nice abs. Don't get me wrong, crunches will strengthen your abs, but no one will be able to see those strong abs underneath layers of fat. Crunches do not burn sufficient fat to make a difference. In fact crunches (as well as all strength training workouts) are an anaerobic exercise. That means it burns SUGAR. Aerobic exercises, on the other hand, burn FAT. Aerobic exercises are the same as the cardiovascular exercises listed above: running, biking, swimming, kickboxing, dancing, anything that will get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes.

OK, so lets say (for arguments sake) that you have a very low body fat percentage. Your abs are visible, flat, and toned. But now you want them to be bigger and stronger. Cue in the crunches! In order to do an effective crunch DO NOT try to do them as fast as you can. That is cheating the exercise. It is also important to note that you DO NOT need any equipment to give your abs a great workout. In fact, most products on the market DO NOT work.

How to do a correct crunch: First, lay down with your knees bent and push your lower back into the ground. You should be flexing those abs the entire time of the workout. Now, crunch slowly up, then hold for 1 count (exhale as you do this part). Then slowly go down as you inhale. Feel the burn? If you don't, remember to focus on flexing those ab muscles. For added resistance you can hold weight on your chest or do your crunches on a decline bench.

There are, of course, many variations of crunches. These are great for adding variety and isolating certain parts of your abs. Check our the Body-for-Life website for more ab workouts:
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/flash/m16.html
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/flash/m17.html
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/flash/w17.html
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/animations.asp