fitness 2023, 12 reasons why you don't have rock-solid abs (yet), according to experts. Image: Pexels
Although bulging abs are not strictly speaking an indicator of good health or athletic level, these muscles still retain an almost mythical status in our appearance-obsessed society. Truth be told, we've probably all tried to have a well-designed six-pack at one time or another, and we've failed.
Still, you don't have to be Jonathan Majors or Aaron Taylor Johnson to have chocolate bars because we all have abs. It's just about getting your hands on it. It's not that simple, but by avoiding a few common mistakes in and out of your workouts, you'll dramatically increase your chances of success.
“Toiling away at the gym if you sit all day is not a good habit. Look to increase your movement throughout the day,” advises Mitch Raynsford, strength and conditioning coach at P3RFORM. Increasing your daily activity and not spending your time behind a computer or lying on your sofa will have a much greater impact on your fitness than doing a heavy workout once a week. We talk about NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or thermogenesis of non-physical activity) for calories burned outside of physical activity.
“For abs to show, you need to have a low body fat percentage , around 11% for men and 14% for women,” says David Wiener, Freeletics Training and Nutrition Specialist. “It can't be done through exercise alone, and you have to combine targeted training with a calorie deficit. However, it is important to recognize that exceptionally low body fat does not necessarily mean optimal health.”
"Eating smaller, more frequent meals that are high in protein and contain complex carbohydrates is key," says Wiener. “By choosing the right meals, controlling portions, and timing, you can eat every two to three hours, stay full, and continue to lose belly fat.” Ideal foods are chicken, turkey, salmon, eggs, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.
We need to eat less to lose weight, that's a fact. But it's not about going from everything to nothing overnight. “People make the mistake when they restrict the energy (calories) they can consume each day too much, which means that even if they get results at first, they don't find a long-term solution”, explains Raynsford. "Reducing your calories by about 10-15% will allow you to get results in a smoother and longer lasting way."
Yes, sit-ups work the abs. But when it comes to burning calories and building a well-balanced core, it's not the best. And it's time to step up a gear. "To really target the abs and core as a whole, compound exercises are key," says Raynsford. “These are multi-joint movements that target large muscle groups throughout the body (squats, deadlifts…). These exercises allow you to spend a lot of time under tension, which is a key element for the development of strength and muscle size.”
Working your core is essential, but if you don't take a holistic approach and focus on the muscles you're working, you're missing out. "The core is made up of your diaphragm, pelvic floor, obliques, lower back, and abs," says Wiener. “The easiest way to engage your core is to stand as if expecting a punch to the chest, then breathe into your stomach.” When your core is always engaged, you work better in any exercise.
As anyone who's ever done a crunch knows, exercises that target the abs can cause a whole lot of pain.. Crunches and Russian twists, for example, are often performed with poor technique. "People tend to overstretch the neck and force movements without focusing specifically on contracting the abs," says Raynsford. “When isolating the abs, you need to make sure the transverse abs are properly engaged.”
Try lying on the floor with your knees over your hips and squeezing your lower back into the floor. Then slowly extend your knees outward while keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. The tension you should feel in your lower abs corresponds to the activation of your transverse abs and is a key part of engaging the core to increase strength,
Are you a robot or human? Make gaps from time to time to hold over time. “Rather than ending up cracking up and gorging yourself on sugars and fats all weekend, treat yourself to small deviations,” says Wiener. “Remember that too strict a diet is not sustainable and if you abandon it totally you will not get a six-pack.”
Did you get into it two weeks before the beach vacation? We're sorry to say, but building your abs takes time. “We can only lose 0.5 to 1 percent of our body mass each week as body fat before we start losing muscle mass as well,” says Raynsford. "So some people only have it for a few weeks, while others may have it for two years." It all depends on where you're starting from, but there's no miracle solution except time.
You see a little progress and you're about to drink a beer to celebrate the event? Yes, U.S. too. But wait a second before you rejoice... “Once you start seeing results, it's important to keep going and not fall back into bad habits or routines,” warns Wiener.
It is believed that to reduce body fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. "But the percentage of body fat varies greatly from one individual to another: some store more fat around the stomach, others in the chest and still others in the buttocks", explains- he.
"If you're one of the unlucky ones who stores fat around your stomach, you'll need to achieve a lower overall body fat percentage to reveal the abs hiding underneath." There's no one-size-fits-all method, so don't be discouraged if your naturally thin gym buddy seems to find the process easier.
Raynsford lists some essential habits to develop your abs and make them visible. If you're not already doing the following daily, it can be a good start.
~ Sleep 7 to 9 hours per night
~ Drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day
~ Taken more than 10,000 steps per day
~ Maintain a steady calorie deficit of 10-15%
~ Train each muscle group 2-3 times a week
[Via GQ France]
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