Men's Health

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Men's Top 7 Abdominal Training Mistakes

By Michael Esco, PhD, CSCS
WebMD Expert Column

You exercise extra hard for “six-pack” abs, but no matter how much sweat you produce, you are not seeing the outcome that you are after. It’s hard to lose abdominal fat, if you are not exercising correctly.

Men store most of their fat around the waist. Unfortunately, this is the type of fat that is linked to chronic disorders, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.

Exercise is a great way to improve your mid-section, but it must be performed properly. The following includes 7 common abdominal training mistakes most men make.

1. Only Performing Crunches and Sit-ups

These exercises are probably the most commonly performed for abdominal training. And for good reason - they work! However, your muscles quickly adapt to certain exercises. If this happens, they may stop responding. Changing your workout every few weeks will ensure the results keep coming.

Also, your midsection is actually composed of more muscle groups than just the “six-pack” -- or, better stated, the rectus abdominus. Other muscles include the external and internal obliques, which are located on the side of the trunk. It is important to perform a variety of movements to fully target all of the muscles within the trunk region.

Side bridges, prone planks, hip-ups, bicycles, and Pilates are other great exercises that should be included in your abdominal workout. Incorporating stability devices can also add variation. Try performing crunches on a Swiss ball for an advanced alternative to a traditional exercise.

2. Exercising Abs Every Day

If you’re working your midsection on a daily basis, you are probably overdoing it. The muscles in the abdominal wall are like all other muscles in the body, they need rest to fully recover and repair from a strenuous workout. A good abdominal workout should only be performed on two to three nonconsecutive days per week.

When it comes to training your abs, the more you do does not mean the more results you will get. As a matter of fact, doing too much can actually increase the risk of injury to the lower back.

3. Avoiding Cardio

Avoiding cardiovascular exercise is the biggest mistake men make when attempting to lose belly fat. No matter how hard you try, you can’t spot-reduce. You must expend stored calories. If a layer of fat is covering your abs, then there isn’t any abdominal-specific workout that will show results, without the assistance of cardio training.

Twenty to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at a moderately strenuous intensity performed three to six days per week will expend stored calories. This will trim fat from the midsection to reveal your hidden six-pack abs. What’s more, these are the same research-supported guidelines for improving your cardiovascular fitness.

1 | 2 | 3

Next Page >