Six Pack Abs - Myths vs Facts For Building Lean Ripped Abdominals

Every body wants them, but if 6-pack abs were easy to get, we'd all be walking around with washboard abs. So, here are some typical myths that are associated with having great abs:

Six Pack Abs Myths Vs Facts #1
I need to do 1,000 crunches a day: Totally false-the motion of the crunch (torso flexion) is a fine movement, but generally is over used. Instead of just doing crunches, use variety that includes static holds, rotations, and torso extensions (cobras, bird dogs, stability ball back extensions)

Six Pack Abs Myths Vs Facts #2
I can work my abs everyday: Your abs work in a variety of ways: flexions, extension, rotation, actively and statically support your spine. Your abdominals need to be trained in all of these ranges of motion. But, your abs are just like any other muscle fiber-they grow and get stronger during recovery (rest), so training them everyday is counterproductive. If you do feel the need to train them more frequently then other body parts, I suggest you have a flexion/extension (crunch)/rotation day and then follow that up with a static isometric day (planks, abdominal draw inc, etc. This way, even though the abdominals are not getting complete rest, the fibers are being trained in different ranges of motion.

Six Pack Abs Myths Vs Facts #3
I can isolate different parts of my abs: The abs work in perfect unison with the different muscle groups: rectus abdominus, the obliques, the transverse abdominus, and all the tiny stabilizers that lie within the deep intrinsic core. You can't isolate them the specific parts, but there are specific exercises that engage some parts rather than others. As stated before, your abs must be trained with a variety of extension, flexion, rotation, and static holds.

Great abdominals are a goal of everyone, but very few ever achieve the "6-pack" look, but that doesn't mean you should strive for them. By training your abdominals in the variety of movements and exercises mentioned above, plus consistent strength training, anaerobic/aerobic training, and clean nutrition you will see those abs start to peak out.

By James Romans