The Most Common Myths About Abs

A quick, informative article that debunks the most common myths about abs.


Keywords :
abs, muscle, muscles


Myth #1

Abdominal muscles are different from regular muscles.

Your abdominal muscles are like every other muscle in your body. The abdomen differs only in its location and, unlike the biceps or quadriceps, it does not rest on a bony surface. So you need to train them the same way you would train, for example, your biceps or your chest. The basic laws of physiology apply to all of your muscles, including your abs. This means you need to perform the exercises in the correct plane of motion to effectively work the muscle.

Myth #2

You should train your abs every day.

The rules of bodybuilding state that you should give your muscles at least one day of rest to recover and this also applies to your abs. Instead of working your abs every day, do them every other day or even just three times a week. They need a break just like the rest of your body. The trick is to train them hard.

Myth #3

Doing abdominal exercises helps you get rid of abdominal fat.

There is no such thing as spot reduction. People think that if you have fat deposits on your abdomen, exercising the muscles underlying the fat will make it disappear. But they are wrong. You cannot get rid of fat located on a muscle by doing repeated exercises on that part of the body. The only way to burn your belly fat is through prolonged exercise and a healthy, low-calorie diet.

Myth #4

It takes a lot of repetition to make progress.

As you have read previously, abs are like any other muscle in your body. This means that you should train your abs the same way as the rest of your muscle groups. To gain strength with your abs, you need to overload your muscles.

Myth #5

Anyone can have a flat stomach.

For many people, it is not physiologically possible to achieve a flat stomach. In most of us, the abdominal muscles are designed to be somewhat rounded, not flat. Age, genetics, gender, all of these factors determine the size, shape and appearance of your belly.

Myth #6

If you have a bad back, ab training will make it worse.

Abs training will strengthen your back. Opposing muscles in your body always help each other. So, if your abdominal muscles are weak, the workload falls on the back. So strengthen your abs and your back will also strengthen.

Don't waste time falling victim to the top six abs myths. Train smart using science-backed workout techniques and get great abs.