| The fact that millions of Americans desire a trim waist | | | | from your waistline. Genetics, age and gender |
| is what keeps the ab equipment industry booming. | | | | determine the shape of your abdomen. That said, with |
| Unfortunately, many of the abdominal exercise | | | | the proper exercises, you can improve the abdominal |
| gadgets on the market are ineffective and sometimes | | | | muscles. The abdominal muscles react to resistance |
| even unsafe. The advertisements for these products | | | | training just like any other muscle group. Performing 100 |
| perpetuate misconceptions about what really works | | | | biceps curls is not the proper way to overload the |
| and what doesn't. | | | | biceps--neither is doing 100 crunches to work the |
| Spot Reduction | | | | abdominals. Effective exercise will fatigue muscles in |
| "Trim" is a word used frequently in ab products. In | | | | less than 20 repetitions and will produce better results. |
| reality, no exercise equipment will trim or reduce your | | | | You can achieve results without any equipment. You |
| waist. If you haven't heard by now, you cannot spot | | | | can even work your abdominals by performing a |
| reduce fat (except by liposuction!). So don't believe | | | | "pelvic tilt" while sitting in a chair. This method can |
| ANY abdominal toning equipment advertisement that | | | | strengthen your abdominals for better posture and for |
| promises to decrease fat around your waistline. The | | | | supporting the back. People with weak abs find this |
| fact is that ab exercises will train your abdominal | | | | very helpful and easy to do. Other exercises: |
| muscles, but you will have the same layer of fat sitting | | | | Standard Crunch: |
| on top of these muscles unless you create a calorie | | | | Lie on back with knees bent. Lift your shoulders off |
| deficit by burning more calories than you consume. | | | | the floor, concentrating on moving your ribs towards |
| The most effective combination is aerobic exercise, | | | | your hips. Pretend a grapefruit is under your chin so |
| strength training and healthy eating habits. You might | | | | you don't move your head. Easier: hands on chest. |
| not like this answer, but it is the only one that will work | | | | Harder: Hands on sides of head, but don't pull on head. |
| in the long run. Don't look for quick-fixes--as we all | | | | Hardest: Hands straight out above head. Go slow and |
| know, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is! | | | | keep breathing. Try 2 seconds up, hold for 2 seconds, |
| The Flat-Stomach Myth: | | | | then 2 seconds going down. |
| Many people are on a quest to achieve a "flat | | | | Reverse Curl: |
| stomach". The obsession with the abdominal area can | | | | This targets the lower fibers of the front abdominal |
| cause frustration, anxiety, and can even lead to eating | | | | muscle and also the side abdominals. Lie on your back |
| disorders. Unfortunately for many people it's not | | | | and bend your knees toward your chest as far as is |
| physiologically possible to achieve a flat-stomach. Our | | | | comfortable, keeping hips on the floor. Contract your |
| abdominals aren't designed to be flat. Instead, the | | | | abdominal muscles to lift hips off the floor and bring |
| abdominal muscles form a rounded, not flat, shape. | | | | knees toward chest. Don't swing your legs! |
| Gender, age, and individual body types can effect the | | | | Concentrate on using your abs to lift your pelvis |
| size and shape of your abdomen. This is especially | | | | toward your lower rib cage. Go slow and keep |
| true of many healthy and fit women who, when they | | | | breathing. Easier: Hands on floor. Harder: Elbows on |
| reach about 40 years old, tend to get a lower | | | | floor, hands in air. |
| abdominal "pooch" due to hormonal changes. | | | | Combination Crunch: |
| So instead of worrying about something you can't | | | | Do the standard crunch and the reverse curl at the |
| change, try focusing on something you can--like your | | | | same time. If you need a challenging ab exercise, this |
| posture. Poor posture can contribute to a "pot belly" | | | | will work great. |
| look, while good posture can add to a trimmer-looking | | | | Ab Exercises on the Ball |
| physique. Good posture consists of a slight bending of | | | | There are some legitimate ab products like the |
| the knees, contracting the abdominal muscles to point | | | | exercise ball (aka swiss, gym, stability ball, Fitball), which |
| the tailbone toward the floor, and keeping your | | | | has been used by physical therapists for decades. It's |
| shoulders back and your head balanced on your neck | | | | one of the safest and most effective training devices |
| (not leaning forward). Think of a string attached to | | | | for the abs and low back. Lying on the exercise ball, |
| your head which is being pulled upward. Better posture | | | | your hips curve down so you start your exercise at a |
| will make you feel taller and slimmer. | | | | greater range of motion than you would lying flat on |
| Effective Abdominal Exercises | | | | the floor. This means more of the abdominal muscle |
| As mentioned earlier, ab exercises won't reduce fat | | | | gets trained. |