Top 10 Truths about Flat Abs

Top 10 Truths about Flat Abs






If
you are doing abdominal exercises in the hope of getting a strong core
and a flat stomach, you aren’t alone. Ab exercises are some of the most
popular exercises for both novice and elite athletes. However to get a flat belly and defined abs it takes more than just crunches. You also need to reduce the layer of body fat covering up your well-defined abs.1. THERE'S MORE TO FLAT ABS THAN CRUNCHES Crunches
can only tone the abs. They cannot get rid of the fat layer that lies
on top of the ab muscles. And the only way to lose the fat is to do
some form of vigorous aerobic exercise like skipping, jogging, cycling
and so on for no less than 30 minutes 3-4 times a week.
These exercises are a must rather than an option because they help
increase the metabolic rate, causing your body to use up all stored
forms of energy, in short, your fat. Aerobics exercises target specific
areas of body fat, weight training increases the body's overall
metabolic rate, so in a way it enhances the action of aerobics.
2. CRUNCHES ARE JUST ONE FORM OF AB EXERCISE What
you need to do is a series of exercises that work all the muscles in
the abs (the rectus abdominis and obliques) from different angles.
There are three so-called "Places of motion". When you bend forward,
you work the sagittal plane. Bend to the side and you target the
frontal plane. Twist your torso and you hit the
transverse plane. A basic crunch only work your muscles through one
plane of motion - sagittal - which is why you can do them forever and
only see a third of the results. Of course, don't give upon crunches.
Incorporate moves that hit the other two angles and your abs will be
much leaner.
3. MIXING IT UP IS A MUST Even
if you've got a fantastic workout, you still need to vary your moves
every few weeks. The longer you stick with an exercise programme, the
more efficient your body becomes at doing it You end up using less
energy and burning fewer calories, and you won't get optimal results.
Research shows muscles can adapt in as few as four to five workouts.
Keeping your muscles from getting bored doesn't mean scrounging up an
all-new routine, either Constantly making small tweaks to the same
moves is enough. For example, instead of placing your hands by your
ears when you do crunches, try extending your arms in front of you or
do oblique twists on an incline bench rather than the floor.
Exercising while holding a weighted ball or dumbbell is another way to
switch things up once you get stronger. Use enough weight so that you
can't do more than 15 to 20 reps at a time.
4. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A BEER BELLY Any
alcoholic drink can add to the size of your stomach for one very simple
reason: Alcohol is dense in calories. Every gram of alcohol contains
the same amount of calories as a gram of butter - seven which almost
twice as many as a gram of most other carbohydrates or protein. Like
other calorie-packed foods. It promotes weight gain.
But there's also evidence that beer, more than other kinds of alcohol,
may cause more fat to settle on your belly. Research at the University
of North Carolina at Chap I Hill found that among those who had more
than six drinks a week, beer drinkers had the highest
waist-to-hip-ratio followed by those who who opted for liquor. Wine
drinkers had the slimmest waistlines.
5. JOGGING IS GREAT-BUT WATCH OUT FOR "RUNNER'S POOCH"
During an average run, your body weight rests on one or the other leg
about 80 per cent of the time. To maintain balance, your stomach
muscles (particularly your lower abs) must stay contracted. They also
help hold your torso (which amounts to two thirds of your total body
weight) upright as you exercise. Running burns a lot of calories, too - 490 to 1,103 an hour, depending on how fast you go. The
problem with running is that it can work your hip flexors and erector
spinae (your lower back muscles) to a greater degree than your abs, If
you don't make an effort to stretch these areas, you could develop an
imbalance, known as excessive anterior pelvic tilt. This
condition, which is more common in women, makes your hips and back so
tight that your spine arches into a C shape, causing your belly to
pitch forward. The result: Your stomach looks larger than it really is. The
best solution is to stretch these spots for at least five minutes after
every run. To loosen the hip flexors, stand with your left leg forward,
right leg back, feet about 2 feet apart: gently tilt your pelvis
forward: hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. A
good lower-back looser is to lie face up, legs extended, arms out at
sides. Bend your right knee and place your foot on the floor; rest left
hand on right knee and slowly lower your knee to the left as far as you
can as you twist your torso to the right hold for 30 seconds. Switch
legs and repeat.
6. YOU CAN AGE PROOF YOUR ABS After
age 30, each one of us experiences metabolic slowdown and tend to gain,
on average, a half pound a year. Why? Most of us continue eating the
same number of calories, but burning fewer. In men most fat lands on
the belly; in women on the hips and thighs. By late 30s though, a woman
experiences fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone change
where her body stores fat - and more of it goes to her middle.
The solution for both ***es; eat less, exercise more, or both. Aim to
eat about 200 calories less per day and burn 250 more calories through
exercise after you turn 30. These small, achievable changes will help
balance things out. Another age-related factor: After age 25, we all
lose, about a half pound of muscle each year unless we step up
strength-training routine. Since muscle burns more calories (35 to 45
more per pound) than fat. If
you lose a half pound of muscle, your body will burn 7,200 fewer
calories a year - which equals an annual weight gain of more than 2
pounds a year. What does that have to do with your abs? Research at
Ball State University in Muncie. Indiana, found that exercisers who
followed a six-months strength and cardio programme saw a 12 per cent
drop in abdominal fat. Strength-training is also known to boost
metabolism. Your best bet for staying strong and slim is to lift
weights two or three times a week for at least 20 minutes.
7. PMS PRODUCTS A TEMPORARY TUMMY A
week before a woman gets her period, her body starts producing extra
progesterone. This hormone causes her to retain fluids - a natural
response that's designed to prepare the body to carry a baby, which is
why much of it shows up around her middle. As soon as the body realizes
it's not pregnant and her period starts, progesterone levels drop and
the excess water is released through urine.
High progesterone levels can also negatively affect a woman's mood and
body image, according to studies - so not only do you look bloated, you
also feel bloated. It's the ultimate double whammy. Watching what you
eat (since hormones can make some women hungrier than usual) and
exercising will help you feel better until your hormone levels even out
again.
8. IT COULD WELL BE, GAS It's
true, that poor abdominal tone and fat aren't the only culprits behind
a protruding belly. Good-for-you foods like beans, fruits and
vegetables all contain complex sugars called oligosacharides that you
body can't readily digest. In many people, these sugars produce
intestinal gas that can enlarge your stomach for up to 24 hours after
you eat them - particularly if you're not used to eating a lot of
produce. The solution? Monitoring your diet carefully and
cutting back on foods that create bloat may help prevent distention. In
about a week, any bulge should vanish and the long-term health benefits
will remain.
Remember, eating these foods is till better than the alternative: a
high-fat diet. In the meantime, try over-the-counter products like Gas
X or Eno salts when you eat suspect items. Lactose intolerance, excess
carbonation from colas and even mild food allergies can also fill your
stomach with gas.
How you eat is also an issue. Chewing your food fast and inadequately
can cause you to swallow air, which can end up collecting in your
digestive tract, affecting stomach size. Women who constantly eat on
the go are especially prone to this. Eat slowly and chew food
thoroughly.
9. STRESS SHOWS UP ON YOUR BELLY Being
stressed can actually prompt your body to store fat in your stomach. A
study conducted at Yale University found that of the 160 female
participants, the ones who reported the highest levels of chronic
stress had the biggest waistlines. Researchers suspect that excess
amounts of the stress hormone cortisol promotes your body to pad your
waistline, because the fat cells in this area have more receptors for
cortisol than any other cells in the human body. To help
keep stress levels (and your stomach) in check, cut back on known
cortisol elevators, such as smoking, drinking and lack of sleep.
Exercising, listening to classical music, deep breathing and having a
good laugh have also been proven to instantly lower your body's levels
of this hormone. 10. SUCKING IT IN IS ACTUALLY SMART It
looks like cheating, but holding in your belly actually works a core
muscle deep in your lower back called the transverse abdominis, which
can permanently improve your appearance.
This muscle acts as a natural weight belt, supporting your lower back
and keeping your pelvis aligned. In effect it eliminates posture
problems that may be causing you to slouch and seem paunchier than you
really are. It's also one of the few exercises you can do all day long.
You can't exactly do crunches at your desk, but you can pull your abs
in anytime, anywhere. Another relatively easy and effective way of
tightening the abdominal muscles is Pranayam, "The deep abdominal
breathing exercise works the abdominal muscles without any physical
exertion:. The other benefits include stronger lungs, good breathing
technique and better concentration.
Finally, the two Ps are important in getting rid of a belly - Patience and Perseverance.
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