In the quest for those elusive six pack or eight pack abs, we may try all sorts of six pack exercises, putting in some really hard work. However, many of these so called “six pack exercises” are actually ineffective and therefore doomed to failure which can be seriously disheartening and demotivating for a fitness enthusiast.
So, consider the following commonly made six pack exercises mistakes and see if you are making them, and if in fact these are the reasons that hold back your progress.
Doing hundreds of sit-ups and ab crunches or believing that ‘spot reduction’ is possible.
These were thought to be the best six pack exercises until it was discovered that these are far from the most effective for defining the abs.
1. In fact, overdoing these exercises without a proper overall weight loss regime could actually mean that the abs actually get bigger and more pronounced rather than flatter.
The way to go about getting six pack abs is to lose weight all over the body and not waste time and effort with ‘spot reduction’ because this is actually impossible.
2. Falling for abs infomercials and their tall claims. The TV infomercials and other advertisements are cleverly created to make you believe that doing six pack exercises with their equipment or buying some sauna or vibrator belt is all you need to do get six pack abs.
The stunningly fit models used in the commercials further enhance this illusion. However, believing the claims made by these commercials is one of the most common six pack exercises mistake that you can make.
3. Not focusing on overall weight loss is another of the most common abs exercises mistake. One can have those flat washboard abs only, and only if one has low body fat percentage, because that is the only way that the abs will show up visibly.
So the most effective six pack exercises are actually those that make you lose weight overall – running, walking, bicycling, swimming – all the usual exercises that help you lose weight tone up your body overall.
4. Not adding resistance to your six pack exercises. Lifting weights and doing resistance exercises helps the body create lean muscle and also speeds up the body’s metabolism. Both these factors; lean muscle and a higher metabolism turn helps the body burn calories even while it is at rest.
So adding weights to your six pack exercises routine is a must because this can be an effective tool to help you lose weight and keep it off as well.
5. Using incorrect form to perform six pack exercises. You may be doing the recommended exercises for getting those six pack abs, but you may not be doing them right – if you are using the momentum of the body to do some of the exercises or using swinging motions, or if you are not involving the abs muscles properly in the performance of the exercises then you are not likely to get the optimum results from all your efforts.
