Nov
27
Almost everyone has the goal of getting their abs showing when they first start a fitness program. It’s hard not to want this coveted body part as it’s often used as a good indicator of just how high your fitness level really is.
Unfortunately for many, getting abs is also one of the hardest things to accomplish. The main reason for that, particularly for women, is because we have a strong tendency to store body fat here due to given hormones that circulate throughout our body.
You may find that when you gain weight, the first place it goes is directly to your midsection and when you lose weight, getting abs is the last thing to happen. This makes it slightly more frustrating for the dieter as it seems like they will never reach their goal. Here are a few tips that may help get you there faster.
1. Avoid diet soda’s and gum
You may want to avoid drinking too much diet soda and chewing a lot of chewing gum as the excess air that you consume from these two products can cause bloating issues and making your stomach look distended. While the distension will eventually fade, for the few hours after consumption you may notice this and it will affect your physique (soda to a larger degree than gum).
Other foods that you may want to be precautious of when trying to get abs are large quantities of vegetables, particularly broccoli and cauliflower. These tend to be bad for bloating quite a few people and if you consume a large bowl, you might not be looking too thin for a while. While these are definitely foods that should be included in your diet since they offer a wide variety of nutrients and are very low in calories, it is best if you can eat them around times when your appearance is not that big of a factor.
2. Forgo abdominal crunches in favour of ‘the plank’
If getting abs is a primary concern for you, while it is true that you definitely want to build your abdominal muscles, you do not want them to become so bulky that they give you a wider appearance. Getting flat abs is mostly about having the right size of abs along with low levels of body fat. Performing endless amounts of crunches is going to make the muscle appear shorter and fatter. Instead, perform a plank exercise where you will strengthen your abdominal muscles along with the rest of your core, while working on holding this muscle in while it works rather than sticking it out. This simple exercise will make a big difference when it comes to how your side profile looks.
3. Sit up straight
Posture works in a similar way to the concept that we just described. When you are constantly slouched over, your abs start to protrude outwards giving you the image of a thick mid-section. By standing up straight, bringing your hips up and chest out, while at the same time pulling your shoulder blades together, you will instantly improve your appearance. Additionally, when you are standing tall the skin that is against your abdominal muscles will be pulled tighter thus their appearance should be leaner as well.
So if you dream of getting abs before you go to bed every night, first make sure you get on a good nutrition program. When it comes to leaning down, nutrition is probably around 75% or more of the game while exercise and additional behaviours (posture, etc) account for the remaining 25%. You simply cannot expect to fill yourself with junk food on a daily basis and work that off in the gym - unless you are a high level elite athlete and are training for hours at a day, you can very well easily undo your hard work in the gym within minutes at a fast food restaurant (and most elite athletes are also incredibly strict with their diets anyhow so even though they can eat junk, they still choose not to).
Once that is in order, then consider the previous three tips. Incorporating them into your day is the next step you need to take to getting this goal accomplished.
