1. Only few are born with washboard abs:
Compare this with those women who eat all what they crave and still manage to stay super skinny. They thank the higher Gods for a higher metabolism. It’s same for some men who are blessed with high metabolisms and don’t have to work as hard to keep that potential bulging tummy flat as a slate. However, here is the great news for all and sundry; we all have a wonderful set of washboards abs. It’s just that most men’s flat abs are hidden beneath a layer of fat. The only way to get rid of that flab is to lower your overall body fat through a healthy diet and exercise.
2. Eat junk now, exercise later:
Even if you add an extra 30 minutes of run ning to your mandatory morning jog, it won’t help if you’ve eaten like a horse the previous night. Worse still, if all that you’ve consumed is junk and copious amounts of calories. Fitness experts will tell you that in order to get those washboard abs, you’ll have to eat a balanced meal comprising plenty of lean proteins (beans and chicken), real fruits and vege tables, whole grains that’ll help you reduce your overall body mass and fat.
Bid those biscuit packets stashed in your office drawer goodbye.
Bid those biscuit packets stashed in your office drawer goodbye.
3. Certain foods shrink the belly:
Some companies will make strong claims that certain foods can melt the fat around that belly. But before you buy their claim, remember it is only a myth and there is no grain of truth in there. Foods don’t differentiate by body part. There are definitely foods such as fibrerich — dark, leafy vegetables and citrus fruits — that can help you lose weight. However, eating plenty of these foods will help you lean out overall, not just shrink your waistline.
4. Sit-ups are key:
Your gym instructor told you to go for full sit-ups -lift your torso all the way up so your elbows touch your bent knees - to strengthen your abs. But crunches are far more effective.You just need to curl your trunk so you’re raising your shoulder blades off the ground. The rectus abdominis muscle has a short range of motion, so all that extra movement in a sit-up doesn’t engage it any further. Crunches, on the other hand, focus contraction where it is most maximised.
5. Only crunches matter:
Yet, don’t get too carried away only doing crunches. This is only one of the mus cles you need to tone in order to score a cut core. There are other abdominal muscles, such as the external obliques and rectus femoris, which play a powerful role in spinal and core stability. Side planks and other exercises are better at activating those muscles. No single ab exercise is going to address all that you need. That means you need to combine exercises that target your core from all angles, including your lower back.
6. Target your lower abs:
Most men view their lower stomach as more of a problem zone than higher up and think they can zero in on that part. First, your lower region likely isn’t any less toned -it’s just covered by more belly fat. Second, you couldn’t work only the lower abs if you tried. Your rectus abdominis is one unit -a singly muscle. Certain core exercises involve the hip flexors and other muscles, which makes you feel like you are doing more for lower abs your upper ones, but truth be told, not really.
7. Fast workout for fast results:
When doing any kind of core exercise, it’s always bet ter to go at moderate tempo, but never fast. You’ll have more control over your movements and rely less on momentum to get from one position to the next.Many people tend to lift upward fast and then lower back down slowly, but the entire exercise should be done at a continuous pace. By holding each position for two or three counts (for moderate speed) or up to four counts (for slow tempo), you’ll actually recruit your muscles to do the work instead of riding on your body’s momentum.
8. Don’t work those beefcakes:
It’s fine to work your abs every day - as long as you mix up your exercises. If you do only crunches day after day, without a break, you’ll injure your rectus abdominis and not get the gains you’re aiming for. Renderer recommends picking three core exercises that work the torso through different plains of motion, such as planks, seated twists, and oblique side-ups. Do these every day for a week. Fitness experts advise it’s fine to incorporate crunches into your routine. Just don’t do them every single day to avoid a repetitive stress injury.
source:indiatimes
feature image source:pinterest
