Think you’ve got the perfect ab routine””and you’ve got it down pat? You might be in for a surprise. Many misconceptions exist about abdominal exercises, so if you’re crunching your days away and still not getting the tight, toned abs you crave, there’s a chance you may be doing something wrong. Read on to learn more about the top ab myths from bodysculpting experts at MuscleTech.
Myth #1: Ab exercises will eliminate fat from my midsection.
Truth: While consistently working your abs will strengthen abdominal muscles, those muscles won’t necessarily show. You’ve got to eat clean to get cut. Make sure a healthy diet is part of your bodysculpting program.
Myth #2: Situps are the best way to go to tone my abs.
Truth: When performed properly, all abdominal exercises can be equally effective for toning stomach muscles. Craving real results? Try a different ab exercise each week and work it to failure.
Myth #3: My abs aren’t sore after a workout. I must not have worked them hard enough.
Truth: Soreness can mean you had a good workout, but not feeling it doesn’t always mean you didn’t do a good job. If you’re overly sore and feeling a lot of pain, you may be overtraining. Continue to challenge yourself and muscles will be stimulated, leading to growth and development with time.
Myth #4: My workouts are insane. I don’t need additional abdominal exercises””everything else I do should cover it.
Truth: Abs can be stabilizing muscles for a number of different exercises. But to really strengthen and tighten abdominal muscles, they need new stimulation ““ just like other muscle groups. Again, try something new and keep working.
Myth #5: Machines are the best for ab-toning.
Truth: Machines are good, but why limit yourself? For abs or anything else, incorporating a variety of exercises into your routine is going to get you the best results and bring you closer to reaching your goals.