One of the most popular fitness myths that are seen in every gym across the country is that doing ab exercises such as crunches and planks will help you get a 6 or an 8 pack. Ir is due to this popular misconception that you will find someone or the other doing 50 to 100 crunches every single day. And while they may be doing this day in and day out, they seldom get results. Why is that so? Are the abdominal muscles not reacting to all the exercise and if they are, then why aren't they growing like any other muscle? Today's blog will help you get answers!
Crunches won't get you abs:
You heard it! Doing crunches and or planks won't get you abs, not at all. If you are someone who believes that crunches alone will help you get that washboard look, then you are highly mistaken. That does not mean that you should completely stop training your abs. Exercises such as planks, crunches, and weighted walks help stabilize and engage your core and obliques, thus strengthening them. In fact, adding an ab workout 2-3 times a week for a few minutes after every weight training session will actually help strengthen your core, it just won't give you a 6/8 pack.
You already have a 6/8 pack:
Yes! you heard us right, you already have a 6 or an 8 pack, it's just that you can't see it. That's because your body fat levels are high for you not to see a visible 6/8 pack. There is an age-old fitness saying that your abs are made in the kitchen and that's true because your nutrition must be dialed in to experience visible results. If your body fat levels are high, then chances are that you won't be able to see your abs. If you've been following us then you'd know those fat burners do little to nothing to reduce your body fat and the only tried and tested way to shed weight(fat) is to be in a caloric deficit. Period!
Include foods that help burn Fat:
Wait! How can protein foods help burn fats? Well, first, protein-rich foods help keep you feeling satiated for long, thus reducing the chances of your binge eating unhealthy snacks. Secondly, and most importantly, protein-rich foods are known to increase your body's metabolic rate, as your body needs to use more energy to digest protein. This makes protein foods such as eggs, chicken, protein bars, protein shakes, and other protein-rich snacks foods highly thermic, thus increasing your body's ability to burn fat. Even cajun-based spicy foods are known to increase your body's metabolism, and you must consider including them in your meal plan, if you can handle the spice, of course.
So there you have it, everything you need to know about what needs to be done to get that elusive 6/8 pack that you've been chasing.
Questions?