In the fitness world today, there is not a body part with more attention paid to it than the abdominal muscles. With our obsession with abs, many aspiring entrepreneurs set out to market their device, diet, video or program which will give you “washboard abs,” a “six-pack,” “ripped abs,” or any other adjective to describe a well defined mid section. The problem is that the public, desperate for a quick fix, buys into these products, which at the end of the day, will not do much of anything. The following article provides a few pointers for anyone interested in learning more about the proper way to work on your abs.

First of all, spot reduction is impossible so no matter how many crunches, sit-ups or bicycle kicks you do, you will not get rid of any excess fat around your mid section. If you need to lose excess belly fat, your best bet is to go on a healthy diet and get the right combination of strength and cardiovascular training to maximize fat loss while increasing your metabolism.

If you already have a relatively flat stomach and are looking to develop your abs, there are a few things you should know. The abs are just like any other muscle in the body and should be trained as such. Like any other muscle, you should not train your abdominals every day and should wait at least 48 hours in between training sessions of that muscle. Also, in order for a muscle to hypertrophy, significant external resistance is needed with a rep range of about 8-15 so if you’re able to do hundreds of crunches, you’re better off either finding a new exercise or to find a way to add resistance.

In the world of abdominal training, there seem to be thousands of new claims being made every day. The best advice in sifting through everything if that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Ryan George is the owner/operator of myhometrainer.com. Experienced personal fitness trainers in New York City. Ryan's experience & attention to detail allows you to reach goals quickly.

ryan@myhometrainer.com