Abs are Earned

I teach two, thirty minute Ab/Core focused classes a week. Here are a few of my favorite abdominal exercises to strengthen the core at the moment.







Being able to see muscle tone in the abdominal region takes some discipline. Unfortunately we can't "spot reduce" one area of the body. I see people doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups, getting discouraged from not getting the 6-pack they have always dreamed about. To be able to see some definition, you have to lower your body fat. Too much body fat and you won't be able to see your abs. In order for men to start seeing some of their abs they need to be at 10% or below. Women, on the other hands, start to see lines at 13% since women typically store body fat in other areas such as the hips and glutes. There's no quick fix, no miracle diet... you have to earn your Abs! Eating a clean diet (whole foods, and the removal of fast foods and sugar), strength training and including high intensity interval and cardiovascular training are components to losing body fat. Looks aside, what really is important is strengthening your core to avoid injury, prevent back pain and to be able to maintain a healthy quality of life.