Six Abs Workout Myths

Abs workouts are among the most popular strength training exercises. Unfortunately many people are not getting the most out of their abs workout effort. This article looks at some common beliefs about abdominal exercises that are not totally correct.

Myth # 1: You need a good abs machine to get really firm abs

Many people believe this to be true. In fact studies have shown that a varied abs routine works just as well. In many cases it is better than some of the abs machines available. Just make sure you are doing a good mix of the effective exercises for your abs.

Myth # 2: You have to do abs exercises every day.

Wrong! Like any other muscle set in your body, you should give the abs time to recover after a good workout. One or two days rest between workouts is fine. During this time your body repairs and builds the muscle tissue.

Myth # 4:  You have to do a lot of exercise to get firmer abs

Actually your abs workout should not be any longer than ten minutes! For an optimum workout, a five to ten minute routine will work fine. Too long (or too hard) a workout ends up straining your core muscles.

Myth # 5: Slow crunches are better than fast ones

No – the best tempo is between fast and slow. For the most effective results you need to establish a steady rhythm for each exercise set.
 

Myth # 6: Do your abs workout after your other exercises

Actually it doesn’t make any difference whether you do your abs exercises first or last in your overall workout. Just make sure to do a proper warm up routine before you start your strength training exercises. Light aerobic exercise like jogging works well.

 More information on Ab Exercises…
Here are some of our previous articles about effective abs workouts:

 Abdominal Exercise for women – this web page is a good introduction to abdominal workouts, with videos of each exercise.

 Best Abdominal Exercises – we have picked the top three ab exercises with a video of each one.