One of the exercise trends that personal trainers and fitness trainers have a big problem with is the way people think about abdominal exercises. Most people still think that what were considered “good” abdominal exercises fifty years ago are the best ways they can build their stomach.
In fact, sit-ups and sit-ups are not as effective as most people thought. Personal trainers have known this for years, but many people still think these are good ab exercises. Sit-ups are relatively effective, but hardly anyone does them correctly, and it’s a difficult exercise to replicate. So you may be doing them right one day and wrong the next, but you won’t notice any difference in the way you’re doing them!
The reason crunches aren’t such great abdominal exercises is that the slightest change in posture can shift the focus of tension away from your stomach and toward your hips or back. Back strain is the number one risk when it comes to abdominal exercises, so remember to stop if you feel your back hurt. If your back hurts, then you’re not doing your stomach any good, because you’re using your spine to pull your body.
Many women and people who want to lose weight around their stomach buy into the “high reps, long sets, low weight” strategy, which tends to work for calves, arms, and thighs. However, this is not the most efficient way to burn fat and many people are doing good abdominal exercises, but they are doing them inefficiently! To really burn fat in the stomach area, you must first target the transversus abdominis (the deepest of all abdominal muscles) by doing slow, intense exercises with long intervals of time.
This may sound like a massive training strategy, but try it out for yourself and see what happens! Give up the crunches and try doing bicycle kicks, lying on your back. Use your stomach to lift your hips slightly off the ground and move your legs in slow, controlled motions like pedaling a bicycle. The slower you do this while holding your position, the faster you will develop your deeper abdominal muscles and this will make it much easier to burn off that superficial fat.
When it comes to good abdominal exercises, most people tend to neglect a proven strategy: aquatic exercises. This can be tough, but if you stand in water up to your chest and center your core so you can’t fall asleep or lose your balance, you can really burn some fat! Once you’re in a comfortable position that won’t let you lose your trot, extend your arms out to your sides and make your hands into paddles. Do slow twisting motions from side to side, using your lower abs to absorb the tension.
This and other basic water exercises are all good abdominal exercises that will help burn fat on the sides of the stomach, in the hips, and of course, in the belly. The next time you’re in the gym or pool, give it a try. You’ll find that the number of reps it takes to burn fat in the water is much less than on land, where the only thing you’re working against is gravity and your own resistance.
Remember, if you want to do good ab exercises that will actually help you burn fat and build muscle, stay away from crunches! Rather, look for abdominal exercises that work well for you and achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Don’t be afraid to challenge what you know about exercise – most people who do this experience incredible results!