The Truth About Six Pack Abs

How long will it take you to form a six pack? It depends on you. If you’ve been exercising for years and haven’t gotten the flat washboard stomach you want yet, it may be that your body isn’t made like that. Genetics play a part in how you look and how your body is shaped. Some people just don’t have the genetics to have a six pack. That doesn’t mean that they have to have flabby stomachs; it just means that the goal of a model-perfect six pack stomach may be unrealistic.

And as unfair as this may seem, getting a six pack for women is even harder. Women’s bodies are made to allow for a layer of fat and a little curve in the stomach area. This is biological, and many of us cannot do anything about it. All the exercise, training, and dieting in the world would not help some women acquire six packs.

Doing the best ab exercises and getting the best abs you can is a great goal, and one that you should not give up on. Exercise and good diet are so valuable in a healthy life. The truth about six pack abs though, is that they might not be for your body. It’s like a woman who is 5’2” wanting to be 5’7”. Yes, it would be nice, but it’s not what your body has been built to do. The same is true of six packs. You can be fit, healthy, and attractive without a six pack.

Abdominal Workouts

Here are some tips to get you started.

If you get flashbacks to gym class when you hear the word “crunch,” you are not alone. efficient abdominal workouts feature variations on the crunch. A crunch is done when you lie on the floor with your knees bent. Using your abdominal muscles, you pull your shoulders off the floor. It is key not to use your neck muscles because they will become strained and because then it isn’t helping your abs. There is some question as to whether these actually work. It seems a cruel thing to do to yourself if it doesn’t work. If you do it right, it does help strengthen and tone your abs. Be careful, though, not to strain your neck or back.

One of the best ab workouts is a variation on the crunch, called an oblique crunch. These work the side abdominal muscles, which regular crunches do not. They are performed much the same way as a crunch, except you lift yourself up and touch your right elbow to your left knee, then change sides.

Washboard Abs

Finally, there is another good ab exercise known as the reverse torso curl. In this one you will use the sit-up position, except instead of bringing your upper body up, you will bring your lower body up and into your abdominal area. This exercise will help to tone your lower abdomen and help you acquire the washboard abs that you have always wanted.

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