Getting perfect abs - there’s a lot more to it than just those crunches
Posted on October 12th, 2009 by admin
Most people automatically think of crunches and sit-ups when they think about making the effort to get perfect abs for (probably) the first time in their lives.
To the disappointment of many, it’s really going to need 4 distinct activities to get the type of results you see showcased on TV and in the movies; there just aren’t any short cuts, sadly. All the activities are necessary and they’re aimed at the crucial combination - lose fat, build muscle.
Your Diet
The single biggest issue here is, you can spend 24 hours a day performing crunches and other similar exercises but if don’t reduce the layer of fat, you’ll never have six-pack abs.
So your diet has to be one that creates fat loss. First thing being, think about calories — you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Second, you need a good balance of protein, carb, and healthy fat. You need the protein to build muscle and also to help muscle recover from exercise; and, protein can help you to control your appetite. You need carbs for energy. And healthy fat because some forma of fat - not those in a burger or ice cream, I might add - are an essential part of a balanced diet.
Cardio Exercise
Why cardio exercises, specifically? Because 3500 calories = 1 lb of fat, so if you want to eliminate the layer of fat that hides the abs, cardio helps to burn the calories, and therefore burn the fat.
Strength exercises
Strength training has the biggest impact on the metabolism … meaning, if you perform strength training regularly, you’ll literally put your body in a position where the metabolism speeds up and … you’ve guessed it, your burn fat more quickly. Big muscle exercises - squats, bench presses, lunges, etc - performed regularly will have a bigger impact on metabolism even than cardio and certainly more than small muscle exercises (bicep curls, for example) although it all helps. The faster you burn the fat … the faster you get those great abs you’re working so hard for.
Abs-specific exercises
And only now do we come to the exercises that most people have in mind from the outset - crunches, sit-ups, and leg-lifts in all their variety.
So, this is the path you need to take for great abs; but the biggest obstacle isn’t actually associated with any of these. The biggest challenge is in your head, and it’s simply this - are you willing to pay the price?