(Guest post by Mirsad H of Ab-Solutely-Fit.com)
A Little Intro
If you’re here, then I can assume two things: you care about fitness, and you’re sick of the conflicting information that practically surrounds you everywhere you go.
I’m not here to tell you that you’re going to get ripped overnight, and I’m certainly not here to tell you that running on a treadmill hard enough to make a hamster jealous is going to do the trick either. And don’t even get me started on abdominal exercises… well, actually yes, that’s what I’m here to talk about.
Photo credit: Buzzle
Why Care?
Have you gotten hooked in by airbrushed and carefully manipulated photos of great looking actors (who are often dehydrated just to get that last little bit of definition out before filming) with rock hard abs on late night infomercials? Don’t worry if you have — I’ve been there: I thought that doing hundreds and even thousands of crunches would yield me the body I wanted, because the results just looked too good…
Going Behind The Curtain and Separating Myths from Truths
Why are you being lied to? Because it’s profitable. It’s a deep desire that you have — who doesn’t want to look good? Who doesn’t want to be attractive to the opposite sex? I sure want to be noticed by women, and if you don’t want to be considered attractive – I will be happy to take your place. 😉
Moving right along, one of the top myths of doing nothing but abdominal exercises is that it’s going to tear away fat. This is not true at all. In fact, you will be much more likely to get bored through a very ab-centric program and be itching to do something else. It is my belief that the body wants to be in motion, and feeding it only one type of motion is doing it a great disservice.
What about overtraining?
This is another myth of the abdominal exercise world, though it spills over into general fitness as well. Overtraining is dangerous because it hurts your hormone health, which in turn is keeping you from your health goals – it’s hard on your thyroid, and it also hurts other organs that are responsible for regulating processes in your body.
If you’re a man, the sexual health is pretty important to you — overtraining increases inflammation, which threatens your testosterone levels. Aside from sexual health and vitality, you’re messing with your ability to increase muscle size as well.
Testosterone is truly an amazing hormone, and we need strong T levels in order to maximize our masculinity. Of course, if you don’t want extra T — send them my way, I’ll take all that I can get! 😉
The Core Truths You Need to Have, Today
It is possible to build a strong body without resorting to many supplements, and it’s also possible to build a strong body that looks good without doing ten thousands crunches. I know, it’s hard to believe. Thank me later, though when you don’t have to crawl into bed just because you tried to do all of those crunches!
Interval training will still give you the punch of cardio power you’re looking for without the overtraining worries. You will need to rest and recharge, but it is still possible to avoid all of the abdominal exercises.
However, there are some benefits to abdominal exercises. You need to incorporate them in order to get a stronger core, which is always going to serve you well no matter what the season brings. Another benefit is that it does help you mix things up in the scope of another more comprehensive workout.
I like to add abdominal workouts as a way to strengthen my compound lifting activities. When I really make strengthening my core as a whole a goal, it’s easier to handle heavier compound lifts. My squat went up as I strengthened my core, which in turn allowed me to bring my legs up to speed.
The Story of YOU
Don’t let it just be a story of me here — let it be a story of you. Figure out what you want to get out of your workouts. If you’re trucking along and you’re getting results, great. But the truth is that you probably aren’t just getting by on good results and that’s why you’ve been devouring fitness guides and articles lately.
Be your best experiment. Take notes on your progress. The biggest mistake that I see with fellow fitness fans is that they think they can “wing it” and get the type of physique that they see in men’s magazines. It just doesn’t work that way no matter how many abdominal exercises that you do. You are more than your oblique’s.
The Road Ahead — Starting Your Journey
It bears repeating: I am not telling you that the road ahead will be easy. Going deeper into fitness and nutrition can be like taking the red pill in the Matrix. You have to know what you’re getting into, but until you take that leap, you never really will. Sure, you can live in the land of late night infomercials, hopelessly searching for the quick fix. Or you can dig deeper into your own health and take back control for good. Which one will you choose today? I hope you will take the path of health, always!
About:
Mirsad H is the editor of Ab-Solutely-Fit.com, where he shares his best tips on how to sculpture your body and stay healthy. The author has been involved in fitness his whole life and wanted a way to share his knowledge with everyone, “Ab-Solutely-Fit.com represents the passion I have for fitness and health.”
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