1. The ‘chew then crunch’ myth

Sit-ups are good exercises for toning your abs and stomach if done correctly and combined with a low-fat diet. However, many people think that they can continue to eat whatever they want and end the day with 100 sit-ups to “flush out” all the bad stuff they put into their body throughout the day.

If you’re not reducing your fat intake by watching what you eat, it doesn’t matter how many exercises and sit-ups you do. Not only will you see zero results, but you may also see your stomach increase in size!

This is because you are building muscle below existing fat. We all have flat bellies, it’s just that some of us have layers and layers of fat on top of that muscle that we need to get rid of first.

First you have to get rid of that existing fat by training and toning your abs and stomach area.

I had this problem when I started exercising. I didn’t cut my calorie or fat intake much, but I did start doing sit-ups. For three months straight I did my 8-minute abs routine like clockwork. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t seeing results. In fact, my stomach started to stick out even more.

Well, after doing a lot of reading, I found out that I was also going to change my diet if I wanted to see the results that I wanted.

2. The myth of numbers

Twenty-five good, quality sit-ups are much better than 250 half-done sit-ups. Many people just want to get it over with, so they lie down and do as many quick crunches as they can without quality.

The best thing you can do is perform 4 sets of 20-25 solid crunches while resting 90 seconds between each set. That’s a much more effective way to train your abs than 250 mediocre sit-ups in a row.

3. The myth of spot toning

This is the one that frustrates me. I have always been very skinny and recently started gaining weight around my hips and thighs. I appreciated the extra pounds because they gave me a curvier figure. Unfortunately it also left us with a bit of a flabby stomach.

I wanted to keep my hips and thighs but lose my stomach, so I started working out my stomach and abs by doing pilates and sit-ups.

Well, I didn’t see any results. I discovered through reading that you can’t just spot tone because if you only focus on one area (ie your belly), you won’t increase your metabolism enough to burn off that extra belly fat. So the key to flattening your stomach area is to increase your body’s metabolism so that you can effectively shed those layers of excess belly fat.

A full body workout is the key to slimming your waist.

4. The Six Pack Myth

Whether you’re a man or a woman, we’d all love to have that solid six-pack to show off when we’re in the pool, right? Well, what most people don’t realize is that solid abs don’t start in the gym, they start in the kitchen. If your body contains a lot of fat, your abs will not be visible no matter how much you exercise.

Your first goal should be to lose that fat and it starts with your diet. Decrease the amount of fat and calories you eat and increase the amount of protein. Protein is an absolute necessity to increase fat and build muscle.

5. The myth of running

Did you know that running does very little when it comes to toning your stomach? This is because it can cause the pelvis to be pulled forward and the lower back to arch.

Don’t get me wrong, running is good for you and can burn a lot of calories, but if you’re not doing any other stomach-toning exercises along with running, you’ll see little to no results.

conclusion

I hope you’ve learned that flattening your stomach isn’t about doing 100 sit-ups a day. It’s all about total body fitness and changing your overall diet.

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