The Truth About Abdominal Training: The Facts vs Fiction

Every late evening, infomercial wants you to believe that if you just use their abdominal "gadget" for three minutes a day, three times a week, then you too can have a perfectly sculpted midsection. Sound too good to be true? That's because it is. The fact is you cannot zero in on any one area of your body by just exercising that one part. If you want a strong, flat midsection you must do two things; exercise and diet to reduce the layer of fat that hides your ab muscles. So, those rows of people at the gym doing crunches are just victims of one of the biggest hoaxes about abdominal training.

Your Diet
First, make permanent changes to your diet plan to focus on including a well balanced assortment of green leafy vegetables, lean meats, whole grain products, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, non-fat dairy products and egg whites. Try to abstain consuming all soft drinks, sugar, saturated fats and white bread products. These food items are best viewed as an occasional treat not a diet staple.

Your Exercise Program
Secondly, you need a full body exercise routine that includes 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week. You can switch up these exercises to keep your work out from becoming redundant. Try walking, running, cycling, swimming or aerobics. The calories burned walking or running can be substantial.

You will also want to alternate these workouts with weight training to build muscle. Muscle tissue burns more calories even when at rest that any other type. Aerobic training and weight training are both required to raise your metabolic weight, thus escalating your body's ability to burn calories.

Don't Overdo It
Now that you are eating right and exercising regularly, don't believe the myth that you must do thousands of crunches a day to achieve the look you want. Actually, overuse of crunches will shrink your abdominal muscles, pull your head forward and give you bad posture. Surely you want to avoid the hunchback look. Effective weight loss and fitness doesn't have to consume your whole life.

A simple exercise, that you can do anywhere, is called the stomach vacuum, just follow these simple steps. Exhale, then suck in your stomach. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds then release. Repeat 10 to 15 times throughout the day. However, any standing exercise that contracts your abdominals will work. You do want to specifically target your lower back to strengthen the muscles that support your spine.

Now, it is up to you. If you really want the washboard abs you seen on TV, the time to take action is now.