By Vacationbodies.com
So, here is the truth about obtaining abs, if that's what you're looking for. The truth is this: We all have abdominal muscles, a ‘4-pack’ and a ‘6-pack.’ … They are called the rectus abdominus. Unfortunately, even though we may have these abs, some of us can't see them. Many people have never seen a flat stomach, but it’s there. Underneath layers of fat, our perfect washboard abs await discovery. Depending on your current health situation, bringing these abs out may be a difficult task. If you are overweight and have a significant amount of weight around your midsection, there are a few things you should and shouldn't do.
You should not train you abs with heavy weight using an abdominal crunch, oblique twist, or any machine for that matter. The first thing you should do when training your abs is start with little or no resistance (your own body weight will be plenty) and high repetitions. I realize that you want to bring your abs out, but using heavy weight is not the way to go. Making your abs bigger when they are already under layers of fat will only make your entire stomach look bigger.
You should do cardio. Doing cardio is going to help you lose fat throughout your body. You cannot point to a specific place and try to reduce fat in that area (spot reduction). After all, wouldn't you rather lose fat on your entire body, not just on your stomach? By doing the right amount of cardio, you can ease the process of bringing your abs out. It’s possible to lose fat through cardio and strength train you abdominal muscles at the same time, but this requires the right balance of cardio and resistance training for best results.
If you are extremely obese, don't run. Running is a good source of cardio but morbidly obese individuals need to find other methods of cardio to go along with their mid-section training, because running can put too much pressure on the knees. Low-impact aerobics, elliptical machines, walking and stair steppers are all good alternate paths for losing weight.
*REMEMBER: Don't be discouraged when trying to achieve a flat stomach. If you have a layer of fat over your abs, you need to have a mix of the right diet, cardio and resistance training. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. If you have a lot of weight around your core, imagine how many pounds you need to lose and how many calories must be burned.
Source: articlecircle.com
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