Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Crunches Do Not Work For Six Pack Abs

By Jose Loni

The fact is, crunches do not work for six pack abs. To have visible lean abs, we must consider our diet, increase metabolism and reduce stress in our lives.

Doing crunches develops different areas of the lower back and abs. Actually, some crunches train the hip flexors instead of the abs. Focusing on doing crunches may create imbalances in our back and, consequently, cause back pain.

Eating a diet balanced with protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals, can help us with attaining six pack abs. Eating more frequently, 5-6 meals per day can help us maintain our overall energy and help keep our blood sugar levels steady.

Resistance training helps to give our body a metabolic boost. The increased muscle mass causes the greater metabolic activity in our body, which results in greater utilization of body fat. The excess body fat is then converted to fuel our activities.

Interval training also increases our metabolism. Due to the increased demands of the interval training exercises, more lean body mass is built. This causes an increase in overall fat burning capacity in order to fuel increased activity levels.

Stress has been shown to increase the amount of fat stored in our stomach area. During stress, our body releases the hormone Cortisol, which causes fat to be stored in our stomach area. The excess fat is kept there for the body to use when there is an emergency.

There are many ways that we can reduce stress. Activities such as deep breathing, relaxation techniques, yoga and tai chi have shown to be effective at reducing stress in our body.

Crunches need to be discussed. People should be informed that crunches are not effective in achieving six pack abs. Focusing on what we eat, increasing our metabolism and managing our stress are the main factors that will get you the six pack abs that you strive for. - 15438

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