subject: 3 Reasons Why Ab Workouts Fail [print this page] 3 Reasons Why Ab Workouts Fail 3 Reasons Why Ab Workouts Fail
If you've been feeling frustrated by your ab workouts, you're not alone. The abdominal muscles are some of the more difficult muscles in the body to change quickly! When you add on top of that the fact that many of us are using ab workout strategies that are doomed to fail, it's no wonder that so many people abandon their hopes of having six-pack abs in favor of a bag of potato chips and the television.
If this is you, don't worry. Here are the three biggest reasons that people fail to see success in their abdominal exercises, as well as easy solutions to fix them.
Reason #1: Doing Outdated Ab Workouts Exercises
The number one reason that abdominal workouts fail is a result of doing the wrong exercises. The traditional knowledge which prescribes crunches and sit-ups as the best ab exercises is horribly outdated. Not only do these exercises target the abdominal muscles improperly, they also run the risk of causing injury to the neck and spine.
If crunches and sit-ups have been a staple of your abdominal workout strategy, it's time to ditch them in favor of moves which will give you real results faster and safer. If you're a beginner, start with simple exercises like plank, side-plank, and bird-dog. These moves can be done in just a few minutes at the end of your normal workout, and you will feel the results immediately.
If you're an intermediate or advanced user, try integrating moves such as the hanging leg raise, chin-up/knee-up, and stability ball jackknife into your routine. Make sure that you have a professional assist you if you are unfamiliar with these exercises.
Reason #2: Too Much Focus on Ab Workouts Instead of Total Body Training
People tend to pick one part of their bodies that they don't like and focus on changing it to the exclusion of everything else. The problems with this strategy are twofold. One, you overdevelop one muscle set while under-developing everything else (which leads to strain and injury). And two, you quickly lose interest and motivation in your workout.
It is far more effective to focus on total body training than on abdominal exercises alone. Try substituting high intensity interval training in lieu of a portion (or all!) of your ab workout regime. You're abs will start showing themselves faster and you'll strengthen your whole body while staying more motivated as a result.
Reason #3: Thinking That Ab Workouts Will Override Poor Nutrition Choices
No matter how many ab exercises you do and no matter how much interval training you do, your gut isn't going to shrink if you don't ditch your poor eating habits. For that matter, your abs will start making themselves known by altering your nutritional choices alone without doing any extra exercise!
Now, this doesn't mean that you need to go on a strict diet. What it does mean is that you need to learn which foods shrink your belly and which make it grow if you're truly serious about whittling your waistline.
There is a lot of research about this topic available online. You already know that those potato chips aren't doing you any favors, but you may be surprised to discover that some foods which are considered "healthy," are adding pounds to your gut as well.
So, in sum:
Learn new, core-strengthening ab exercises
Focus on total body strength through interval training
Choose fat-blasting foods
Take those three ingredients to heart, and you will never again wonder why your ab workout isn't working!
