It’s no secret that we tend to use our midsection as the ultimate measuring stick for the success of our fitness plan! We look at those enviable abs on tv and the jealousy starts to build as we look for the perfect stomach workouts!
Unfortunately, toning and defining those abs can be one of the hardest things to do.
You might be working your tail off on a daily basis and have done a million crunches and sit-ups, but still aren’t seeing the results where you want to see them! We wouldn’t blame you if you were ready to call it quits!
However, before you fall off the wagon (or even if you are contemplating jumping on), let us take a crack at re-shaping everything you’ve been taught about how to get those enviable abs. First hint: those crunches aren’t doing you any favors! You need to be doing the right stomach workouts, not just any stomach workouts!
If crunches have been your method for achieving those washboard abs, don’t worry you aren’t alone. However, that is definitely one of the most commonly held myths in the fitness world! Simply put: you cannot spot train to reduce fat. In other words, you can’t just target one area with hopes that the fat will melt away from that specific area!
The reality is that the only true way for those abs to shine through is to reduce our overall body fat! So, what exactly are we trying to say? Enviable abs are the product of high intensity interval training, cardio, resistance, and most importantly eating right! In other words, Fit Fx is the ticket to those washboard abs and the proper stomach workouts!
Weight loss is not a gimmick…anyone can do it…you can do it! We stress time and time again at Fit Fx that weight management is the product of calories in vs calories out. When we manage our weight, the intense training in the studio will shape our bodies the way we want!
Let’s take a look at some of the questions we need to be asking ourselves to see if we are on the right track to that body we’ve been working toward:
How many times per week do you exercise?
If your answer is anything less than 4 times per week (not just in the studio, but any type of exercising) then that is the first red flag! A fat-burning workout involves intense cardio training with challenging resistance training. If this doesn’t describe what you do then you might just be going through the motions.
Cardio needs to have an element of intensity for it to be truly effective. This does not mean you need to be struggling to breathe, but it does mean you need to be pushing yourself to work hard!
Resistance training is the second element of the equation to burning fat! Resistance training will not only ask your muscles to work harder and burn more calories, but it will also work to improve your metabolism.
Do you eat clean?
The last part of the equation is the diet! Diet is easily the top reason people fail to meet those ab goals. Regardless of how hard you work out in the gym, you cannot overcome a bad diet! Here are a few tips for getting that diet (and those abs) under control:
• Don’t eat too much. Counter to what we were told time and time again as kids, you don’t need to always clear your plate! Challenge yourself to leave a little and don’t eat until you feel stuffed! It takes upwards of 20-30 minutes for food to process through our system anyway, so if we are eating until we feel full, then its only going to get worse once we stop!
• Cut out the junk. Good rule to follow: assume all processed and refined foods are junk food, and cut them out of the diet!
• Eat when hungry. Eating smaller meals more frequently will help to increase our metabolism. If you’re hungry, eat a small, healthy snack. Don’t wait until you are starving because that’s when bad decisions are made!
• Take advantage of our meal planning here at Fit Fx! We provide custom meal plans as part of your membership…don’t waste such an amazing opportunity!
It is definitely still recommended to work those abs a couple times per week, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you will achieve those enviable abs by just doing that! It takes not only the right stomach workouts but also the right dieting and dedication!
Let’s get you started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best abs ever. Check out our 6-week no commitment trial package online at www.teamafterburn.com and on facebook at www.facebook.com/teamafterburn.