Everyday millions of people pack themselves into Pilates classes or simply lie down on the living room floor to exercise their core. The core muscles include the abdominals and surrounding muscles that are often trained by doing basic sit-ups or crunches. These exercises are some of the most popular in the world today. In fact, there are many people who don’t do anything other than train their core. Why? The answer is simple: they want to obtain that elusive six-pack. They want rock hard abs like the Spartan warriors in the movie 300.
Ever wonder why sit-ups and crunches never seem to get you anywhere in regards to that six-pack you have always wanted? According to a Washington D.C. fitness trainer, doing crunches and sit-ups alone really yields no results in the sculpting department. Of course that’s not something all trainers will tell you. They in fact, will continue to push the sit-up and crunch angle to their clients in order to have them keep dreaming of that flat, sexy tummy, all the while knowing the results will be minimal to none. This helps to ensure that the personal trainer continues to get paid by the clients.
Why crunches do not work in order to get a flat stomach
People should really work towards having a flat stomach instead of the almost impossible six-pack. Most people do not realize the hard work and dedication that comes with having a six-pack, plus the maintenance in keeping it up. Those people that do have the abs that we all dream about have normally worked for years in order to obtain them at the gym and eating correctly. They are also blessed with the good genes that allow them to acquire this asset. It really is much simpler and more realistic to concentrate on having a healthy stomach instead of a picture perfect one.
The stomach, as you are likely aware, is a problem area for most people. It seems to collect fat more quickly, especially in men. We all know about beer bellies and how they make men look like, well, their fathers. It is no wonder that most men are desperate to shed some pounds from this definitive area, and more often than not they turn to core training to help them do it. But to be blunt, core exercises are an incredible waste of time.
The truth about core training is that while they may indeed make your core muscles a little stronger, nobody will notice them. You see, everyone is born with abdominal muscles that you can’t see because they are covered by a layer of fat. So, if you want a flat stomach or you want to shoot for that elusive six-pack, you must take off the fat. Core training will not help you do that.
There are so many people that believe the myth that working out one particular area of the body will result in weight loss in that zone. This is defined as target weight loss and it is simply not true. Our body is programmed to function as a whole unit, not in individual sections so weight loss happens all over the body, not just in one place.
Cardiovascular workouts have been proven to be the most effective in burning fat and helping you lose weight. More calories are burned doing things like running, biking, swimming, walking, jumping rope or anything that gets your heart beat up. Burning calories is what gets rid of fat so the goal is to get rid of as many calories as one can!
The act of core training can have more issues than just not providing results. This exercise can cause injuries if not done properly. Damages to the neck and spine are some of the most common injuries that are associated with core training. Keeping your form is an important part of preventing these types of injuries and people that have a pre-existing condition such as back and neck problems really should stay away from core training all together!!
So if the only kind of exercise you do is core training, stop! They will not help you flatten your stomach and they are a waste of time. You would be far better served taking a run around the block or riding on you bicycle than you are doing endless crunching in pursuit of an elusive dream.
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