Fitness
Developing Abdominal Muscles – Six Steps to a Leaner Core
By
Jul 12, 2010 - 7:02:00 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Are you on the right track to get the most out of your abs workouts? As you invest your time in an exercise routine, you'll naturally want to know how often and how hard you need to work to get your desired results. You may wonder what you should expect to feel after a workout, when you can expect to see change, and when you should change the routine.

1) Can I do abdominal routines everyday?
Abs exercises are strengthening exercises, and while the abdominals recover quickly from an abundance of training, they still need time to rest and rebuild. Like any muscle group, they require 24-48 hours' recovery time between workouts, so you should train them on nonconsecutive days, three to four days per week.

2) The day after an abs class I'm really in pain. Should my abs be so sore?
You are overdoing it if you're in pain the next day. You want to feel "muscle awareness", a slight feeling of muscle tenderness that means you targeting the muscles at the proper intensity. To reduce any delayed-onset muscle soreness, begin slowly and increase gradually.

3) If I do the routines faithfully, when will I begin to notice change?
To strengthen the muscles and firm up, do your routines three to four times a week for four to eight weeks. For the sculpting effect to show, you also need to reduce your body fat to reveal the toned the muscles underneath.

4) Will crunches get rid of my ab flab?
You can spot strengthen and shape a body area, but fat belongs to the whole body and needs to be reduced systemically. You can shed the fat by regularly expending more calories than you consume. Incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio activity most (at least five) days of the week and monitor your dietary intake.

5) Am I burning calories when I do crunches?
Yes, you burn calories whenever you exert yourself physically. However, the more lasting advantage of doing strengthening exercises (like abs workouts) is an increase in your lean-body mass. A lean body burns more calories at rest, so you are effectively raising your resting metabolic rate and burning more calories over the course of the day.

6) How do I know when to change the routine?
If you've been doing your routine for a while and no longer feel the muscles working, it's time for a change! The muscles will adapt to a certain level of conditioning and stop improving because they don't have to. You should change your routine every four to eight weeks to continue to stimulate the muscles.

Follow these guidelines to get the most out of your abs workouts. And remember to complement them with plenty of cardio and a moderate diet to see the results of your hard work.

For expert guidance on abs workouts, including step-by-step color photos depicting the exercises and a live-action DVD, please check out the book 15-Minute Abs Workout by Joan Pagano at Joan Pagano

(c) Copyright - Joan L. Pagano. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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