Examining the most common misconceptions that I have ever heard about abdominal training. By: Marc Laverdure B.Sc., CSCS

1: Abdominal exercises help to diminish fat in the stomach region.

Right? Wrong! If you want a firm, flat tummy, you must lower your total body fat percentage. Consistent ab workouts are great to strengthen the muscles of the stomach but will not completely help to make those muscles more evident. You will see dramatic claims on T.V. about inches lost with their abdominal apparatus and you yourself may see some results with these machines but this is because it is forcing you into a cardiovascular workout. Going from doing nothing to anything will improve your fat percentage to an extent and it is this factor that will help you make your abs visible. So instead of pulverizing your stomach everyday and risking potential injury from overtraining, limit your ab workouts to 3 times a week and shift the bulk of your energy towards more cardiovascular work. The extra calorie burning is the trick to help you achieve the washboard look you desire.

2: I work on my abs everyday because they are different than other muscles in the body!

The muscles in the stomach region are composed of the same muscles fibers found anywhere else in the body; they work the same, and even break down the same too. They may possess slightly elevated endurance qualities because of their role in posture and core body stabilizing but they are just as susceptible to overtraining and training stimulus as any other major muscle group.

So, I would suggest that you not give them any special attention just because you see this area as one of your flaws. Instead, spread the love and give each and every one of your muscle groups the same amount of attention.

Overtime you'll find that your unselfishness will pay off because as your muscles become more proportioned, they function more efficiently allowing you to burn more calories at rest and during exercise and as a result, your abs will become more evident.

3: In order to do define your midsection you must do high repetitions.

Doing high-repetitions will work the abs and will invoke a stimulus however, you can save a lot of time and energy by keeping your reps down and training them just the same as any other muscle group. The abs are very strong muscles and can therefore handle quite a bit of weight and that is why for many, simple crunches appear to be easy or not stimulating. It is the same thing as taking 5 lb weights and doing 50 bicep curls, the bicep will eventually start to burn - eventually!

Instead, try using ab machines or adding weight to your basics so that you can still complete 10-15 repetitions, the same as you would with any other exercise. This will not only provide your stomach muscles with a greater stimulus, but it will also save you some time and energy!

4. I don't need to work my abs because they get enough of a workout from all my other exercises!

The abdominals and lower back regions (core) act as stabilizing muscles for most of the exercises you will perform. They are also very active in other activities such as standing, walking, and sitting.

My point is that in order to further strengthen these areas and improve, you have to take them out of character and stimulate them in ways in which they have never seen before. The supportive roles of the abdominal muscles are expected and already one of its main muscular functions.

So, my recommendation is that you choose 1 or 2 exercises specifically for the abs and perform them once or twice a week if you want to see further development in the stomach.

5. Don't use weight with your ab exercises because you will end up looking fat!

Consistent training of the abs leads to improved strengthening of the muscles. The more weight you use to train the stomach region, the stronger those muscles will get. It follows that the stronger your muscles get, the bigger they will become in order to sustain heavier workloads.

However, if this were the case and it were that easy to pack on massive pounds of muscles, we would live in a world of giants and a lot of fitness clubs would go out of business. My advice to you, challenge your abs as much as any other muscle group and use resistance whenever possible.

If you happen to get to that point where you feel you muscles have gotten too big=congratulations, your one of the elite few, now simply reduce the resistance but maintain the intensity and you'll look great!

6. If I do one hundred sit-ups a day, how long will it take me to have clearly defined abs?

Essentially, the answer to this question is a myth in itself. In fact, the best way to get abs is through diet and proper nutrition and not necessarily overloading the body with endless contractions. Sit-ups are a great exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles however, if they are covered in a layer of fat then all that hard work cannot be shown off.

The upside to this point is that 200 sit-ups a day is also a great form of cardio and this additional exercise will contribute to your daily calorie restrictions thereby helping to reduce your total fat mass. I would suggest that you not overwork your abs with needless sit-ups and instead, try to do 3 challenging sit-up sessions per week, make healthier food choices while controlling your portions, and spend more time doing cardiovascular work!

7. Sit-ups are the best exercise for toning the abs!

Actually, all abdominal exercises can be equally effective at working the stomach muscles when performed properly. Personally, my favorite exercise is the decline crunch because I find the extra-added stress of gravity on my abs really helps me to isolate the muscle. However, someone else may favor leg raises as their ultimate ab blasting exercise for its high-intensity and challenging level of difficulty.

The important point here is that everyone is unique and we will all have varied responses to different types of stimuli and one exercise may be more effective for one person over another. That is why it is up to you to experiment and find out which exercises will challenge you the most and give you the best results.

My recommendation: Variety is key! Doing the same exercises over and over will only lead to staleness and force your body to plateau. If you really want to work the abs good, try doing a new exercise each week and work it to failure. Keeping the body guessing will help to maintain a constant state of change and adaptation!

8. I don't have time to do 200 sit-ups every day so I just won't do any at all!

I hate hearing this; people tell me all the time that they do not participate in exercise because of time constraints. My answer to that is that it doesn't have to be a big production every single day wherein 2 hours of your precious time are just vanished among piles of weights or lost on a treadmill. All you need is just a minimum of 30 minutes 3 times a week.

I like the example of the cookie for this one. Ever tell yourself "oh just one cookie won't hurt!"?

Well one cookie contains 50 calories and you had one a day for a whole year. That would equal about 5 ½ lbs. of extra fat weight just from 1 little measly cookie. Now think of 10 measly minutes a day on a bike or treadmill. That same 10 minutes a day for one year would equal close to 2 lbs of fat ripped right off your body.

So in essence, every little bit does count and whatever time you can spare for cardiovascular exercise or activity is better than no time. Try to start small like the example with just 10 minutes on most days of the week. As you become more and more accustomed to it, try to increase your times while maintaining the frequency each week.

You may want to consult one of my specialized training programs for additional help on building a formal training plan and sticking to it to achieve the flat stomach you're looking for!
 
Marc Laverdure is a virtual personal trainer and the founder of www.doctorworkout.com