A common goal among exercisers is to achieve those washboard abs that the models in the fitness magazines all seem to have. Endless crunches, leg raises, side bends, sit ups, strapping into the ab machines at the gym. People continue to search for the secret to the elusive 'six pack', often without much success. Turn on late night TV and you are sure to catch more than one infomercial promoting some new miracle device that will give you fitness magazine abs without any effort at all. If perfect abs are your goal, one thing you can be sure of, those infomercial products will make your wallet smaller faster than your waistline.


So, for those of us who are not fitness models, how can we develop a trim, defined midsection? Several points need to be addressed. First, the 'abs' are made up of several muscles. The one most people associate with is the rectus abdominus, located in the front of the abdomen between the ribs and the pelvis. Although it is one muscle, it is divided by grooves, the tendinous inscriptions, which is why it is often referred to as the 'six pack' (in reality it is an 'eight pack'). The primary function of the rectus abdominus is to flex the trunk, or bring the rib cage down towards the pelvic bone. In addition to this muscle, the internal and external obliques (located on the sides of your abdomen), and the transverse abdominus (running perpendicular to and underneath the rectus abdominus) are the main muscles that make up your 'abs'. A properly designed fitness program will incorporate exercises that work each of these muscles and not focus solely on the 'six pack'. In addition, in order to provide strength and stabilization to your trunk, and avoid imbalances that can lead to injury, exercises that strengthen the muscles of the back and hips should be part of a complete program.


The second point is that your abdominal muscles, like the other muscles of your body, need recovery time between training sessions. It is a popular misconception that it is okay to work your midsection every day. You would not think about doing squats every day, as your legs need time to recover and grow. The same principle applies here, meaning you should not work your abdominal muscles every day either. More is also not necessarily better when it comes to repetitions. Performing 25 well executed crunches is far more effective than being able to proudly proclaim the ability to do 200 crunches with poor form.


Next, do not waste your money on those infomercial contraptions that promise 'great abs in just minutes a day' or 'great abs without the effort' or any other promise that sounds too good to be true. The only thing to believe about those infomercials is that not a single one of the well paid actors and models in them got their perfect bodies by using those worthless devices. Most of the products you see are poorly designed and often do not even target the abdominal muscles, instead focusing on the hip flexor muscles. All you need for an effective abdominal workout is enough space for a mat on the floor and proper instruction. Throw in an inexpensive stability ball and you can add a whole new dimension and challenge to your workouts.


Finally, the reality is that for the vast majority of us, the 'six pack' is already there. Unfortunately for that same vast majority, our body fat levels do not allow it to be seen. Despite what the ads and infomercials will tell you, it is not possible to spot reduce the amount of fat covering certain areas of your body, no matter how many crunches, side bends, or repetitions with some silly device you do. By themselves, exercises targeting these muscles will make the muscles themselves stronger, but do little, if anything, to shrink the layer of body fat covering them. The key to achieving that lower level of body fat is through a program of healthy, balanced nutrition, combined with moderate aerobic exercise and basic resistance training that targets all of the major muscle groups in your body, in addition to your 'abs'. So, the next time you catch yourself watching those late night infomercials, realize that is actually how those actors got those perfect bodies, and not by using those worthless products they are trying to get you to waste your money on.




About the Author
Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC.

Dave can be reached at (603) 641-8297, via email at news@perfectfitonline.com, or through www.perfectfitonline.com">http://www.perfectfitonline.com">www.perfectfitonline.com

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