All About Abs

Ask any person on the street what part of their body they’d like to improve. Seven out of ten will probably tell you they want to have nice abs. If there is one body part most people get preoccupied about, it’s the belly, the abs, the abdominals. People often wonder what they can do to flatten it. Exercise buffs want their six pack. There are so many articles written on how to get a trim belly. There are so many products that promise to do so. And there is so much frustration when it doesn’t pan out. Genetics, physical activity and diet are certainly big factors. To know what works and what doesn’t, you have to know the basics of abdominals.

There are six abdominal muscle groups. These muscles extend from the ribs to the pelvis. They all provide support to the spine. The muscles that are closest to the spine provide the most support to it. Called transverse abdominus, they are reponsible for giving you an erect posture. They are located below the obliques. They wrap around the torso and acts like a girdle. The internal obliques also affect posture but to a lesser degree. They are the internal muscles on each side of the torso. These are the ones you use when you bend sideways or rotate your core. Next is the external obliques. These are the outer muscles on each of the torso. Their function is similar to that of the internal obliques. The rectus abdominus is the most superficial muscle group in the abdomen. These are the muscles responsible for the much sought after six pack.

You can do 500 crunches a day and acquire a six pack, but nobody will know it unless you trim the fat covering your rectus abdominus muscles. To lose the fat faster, you have to do both cardio and weight training exercises. You cannot do spot training for your abs if you want to lose the fat. That’s why you have to do cardio. Strength training revs up your metabolism. Especially when you work on the large muscles of the body. This includes the buttocks, the legs, the chest and the back muscles. The more muscle you have, the more calories you spend and the faster the fat comes off. Work your abs at the end of your workout. Tiring out your abs will compromise the rest of your workout. This is because you indirectly use your abs when you’re working on your other muscles. Crunches and its variations are the most popular abs workouts. The Captain’s Chair Leg Raise and the bicycle exercise are also effective.

Eat a well balanced meal. Proteins feed your muscles. It makes sense to eat a little more of it. Go easy on the fat and choose complex carbohydrates. It is important to keep up your energy. As your muscles develop, you’ll require more to feed it. Maybe you’ve seen people who really have good abs without diet and exercise. Genes do affect how your abs develop. Some people just don’t collect fat around the middle. If you’re one of them, good for you. If you’re not, you just have to work a little harder.

Your abs muscles are just like any other muscle in the body. You work it like all the others. That is not to say acquiring a six pack is easy. But, it’s not too complicated either. It just takes work and a little know how. Knowing what works and what doesn’t can make all the difference.

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