It would be great that by working a muscle group we would also burn fat in that area, but it is not truly like that. Ab exercises by themselves will not make you loose fat around that area. We should also remember that the muscle mass of the abdominal group is divided in more than one abdominal muscle!
Unfortunately you can not ask the body to burn fat in some specific areas only. When we burn fat, we do so all around. In man it is harder to burn the abdominal area, while in women it is usually harder on the glutes and legs. We all have inside some perfect abs and there are ways to open that garage and let the Ferrari shine, but for this goal to be achieved, we have to stress three main conditions: adequate nutrition, resistance training and cardiovascular activity.
In our training routines we can not miss resistance training exercises where several muscle groups work altogether, these exercises are the ones that affect the metabolism positively, demand high energy during the session and help to burn more calories. Squats, Lunges, Press Ups, etc. Make sure you are adding some of these exercises to your anaerobic training. The next thing to keep in mind is the cardiovascular activity, as it will help burning more fat if we combine it with the anaerobic training. It is specially relevant to bring in the main two variables available for this purpose: constant activity and high intensity intervals.
Constant activity also refers to your day to day activity, like going for a run instead of going for a walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator... even having sex! If you transform any sedentary routines into an active lifestyle you will very much help the outcome. High intensity intervals refers to the frequent and disciplined practice of cardiovascular exercises, bringing runs into your jogging routine, or using the Cross-Trainer or the Climbing Stairs at different speeds and intervals in th Gym. These exercises can be decisive for burning fat and they help improving the resistance, which is fundamental when performing abdominal exercises. Obviously, abdominal exercises are also needed in order to increasing its volume and strength, and toning the muscle group. Slimming down would not be enough for this matter.
Remember to use a correct approach when generating a structure in your abdominal routine, avoid those unsafe exercises and the detrimental ones, and concentrate on the ones that can report you bigger benefits. For those that are not looking for big muscle mass, the best route to take consists on performing these routines three times a week following a well structured plan. Consult your Gym Instructor or Personal Trainer for this matter and you will hardly fail.
Bsc/NCs EHFA Coach
