Do Abdominal Exercises Make The Six Pack?

Abdominal Exercises

Do Abdominal Exercises Make Lines In The Middle Zone?

The lined abdomens or the six pack is a symbol of fitness, good health and good physical condition.

Abdominal Exercises: The abs in order to have the shape of the six pack must first be exercised. A second important element is to have a low fat content.

Usually the abdomen in men begins to be erased when the percentage of body fat is close to 10% while in women 14% (due to breasts).

However, We Must Remember 2 Basic Things:

If you have a low percentage of fat but you do not have a trained abdomen, the six pack will NOT be deleted. It will just have a flat belly.

If you have a very fit abdomen but have a high percentage of fat, the six pack will NOT be deleted. You will have a belly.

A quick internet search shows countless information on how to build it, what exercises to do, what diet to follow.  

The methods are usually a combination of exercise and diet. However, things are not as simple as we will see.

In this article you will find everything you need to know about abdominal exercises and fat around the abdomen.  

What Are The Abdominal Muscles And What Is Their Function?

The abdominal muscles work synergistically with the back muscles and help stabilize the torso.  

In addition they help with breathing, participate in movement and walking and protect the internal vital organs.

In addition, the torso muscles are responsible for posture and balance.

There are 4 main abdominal muscles:  

  1. Straight abdomen  
  2. Transverse abdomen
  3. Inside oblique  
  4. Outside oblique  

It is very important to exercise all the abdominal muscles. In addition to proper posture, exercising the abdomen reduces lower back pain and increases flexibility and agility.

There Are 2 Types Of Belly Fat

Abdominal fat is associated with a higher risk of serious health problems such as insulin resistance,  type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity in the abdomen is the main cause of many metabolic syndromes. However, not all belly fat is the same. There are 2 different types: subcutaneous and visceral fat. 

The Subcutaneous Fat 

This type of fat is located just below the skin and above the abdominal muscles. We can pinch it with our fingers. Subcutaneous fat in small amounts does not increase the risk of metabolic syndromes and health problems. However, it is enough so that our abs are not erased and the six pack is not visible. 

Visceral Fat

This type of fat is located under the abdominal muscles, around our vital organs. It is associated with metabolic syndromes and serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Visceral fat is hormonally active. It releases elements that affect and accelerate many processes related to health problems in the human body. When we lose fat from the middle zone, the percentage of both visceral and subcutaneous fat decreases.

Strong And Fit Abs Are Not Enough To Show The Six Pack  

Regular abdominal exercise will definitely work them out and strengthen your torso.  

No matter how difficult and complex planks you make, sideways bumps and twists, your bellies will not show if they are covered with a layer of fat.

As long as you have a high percentage of subcutaneous fat you are not going to see your abs being erased in the mirror.  

Abs are slowly erased when the percentage of fat is close to 10% in men and 13-14% in women (due to breasts)

Do Abdominals Burn Belly Fat?

Many men and women do endless abdominal exercises aimed at losing fat in the middle zone.  

Scientific research, however, does not support the theory of local weight loss.  

Local Thickness Reduction Is Not a Theory 

The term ” local thickness reduction ” incorrectly refers to the theory that when we do exercises for a specific part of the body we burn the fat that is in that area.

During hard training we definitely feel the burning of the muscles and the characteristic grip, which means that the muscles work properly and become stronger.

However, this burning has nothing to do with burning fat. Studies have shown that post-workout muscle cramps have nothing to do with reducing fat locally.  

In one study, 24 people only did abdominals 5 days a week for 6 weeks. This did not seem to be enough to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen.

Another 27-day study looked at the effect of an abdominal program on adipocyte size and the percentage of fat in the abdominal area. No reduction found.

This theory, like the results, is not just about the abdomen. The results apply to the whole body.   

For example, in one study, participants were asked to do resistance training for 12 weeks, exercising only the hand with which they do NOT write.

Fat percentage was measured before and after the study, both in the arm and throughout the body.

There was a decrease in the percentage of fat throughout the body and not only in the hand with which they performed the exercises. There have been several other studies that have had similar results.

The Best Exercises For Abdominal Sculpting

One of the main reasons that local fat burning does not work is because the muscles that are exercised do not use the fat directly for energy from the fat cells.

Fat must first be broken down into triglycerides and free fatty acids before they can enter the bloodstream.

Fat that breaks down and enters for energy can come from anywhere in the body, and not necessarily from the area around the muscles we work out.  

So, no matter how many abs we do, we are not going to burn belly fat. It should be noted that the abs are a small muscle group and burn minimal calories.

You need to focus on reducing the amount of fat in general, all over the body.

What Training Do You Need To Do To Show Your Abs?  

If you want to quickly and effectively reduce the amount of fat you have in order to line the body and especially the abdomen you need to do exercises that increase metabolism and burning .

Aerobic exercise is also effective if you have visceral fat.

The intensity of the exercise also plays a very important role. The bigger the fat you burn.

Moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise reduces belly fat much more than low-intensity aerobic exercise as well as strength training.

Another important factor is the frequency of training. For faster results do at least 3 workouts a week.

Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise should last 30 minutes, while high-intensity aerobic exercise should last 20 minutes. High-intensity aerobic exercise also gives muscle tone and shape to the muscles.

Both high-intensity aerobic training and resistance training increase muscle mass and at the same time activate the metabolism .

After a hard workout the metabolism is increased from 24 to 48 hours. After a low or moderate intensity workout the metabolism is increased for 1-2 hours.

The more muscle mass we have the higher our metabolism and the more we burn on a daily basis.

A Change In Diet Is The Key To Abdominal Sculpting  

“Abdominals are built in the kitchen.” This phrase has a very large dose of truth.

Exercise will give the muscles a nice shape. Low fat diets are bad and you can’t properly absorb many nutrients without it.

If we are very fit but have a lot of fat, no muscle will be deleted in our body. A typical example is the SUMO athletes.

Nutrition plays a catalytic role if we want lean abs. Below we give you the general instructions that you must follow.

Do Not Consume Processed Foods

The first thing you need to do is say goodbye to all processed foods.  

Most processed foods contain white flour, trans fatty acids and high fructose glucose syrup. They also contain a variety of preservatives and food additives that destroy metabolism.

Say Goodbye To Sugar And Flour

Completely eliminate sugar  and white flour from your diet . Their consumption is associated with low metabolism, low energy levels and an increased risk of metabolic syndromes.

In general, for best results, if you have more than 5 pounds of fat you want to lose, reduce the amount of carbohydrates you consume daily.  

Eat More Protein

Protein diets are associated with a higher sense of satiety, fewer snacks and fewer calories consumed throughout the day.  

A study of overweight and obese people showed that when 25% of the total calories consumed came from protein, appetite control and satiety increased by 60%.

It was also found that when the total amount of protein was 25-23% of the daily calories consumed, an increase in metabolism of 100 calories per day was observed.

Eat More Fiber

Increase fiber intake for faster fat burning. Vegetables are rich in soluble fiber which has been shown to contribute to weight loss.

They increase the feeling of satiety and reduce the total number of calories we consume in the long run.

Conclusion

In combination with exercise and diet, the ingredients of the above supplements provide a variety of natural vitamins, minerals and trace elements, antioxidants and thermogenic elements, as well as phytochemicals that increase metabolism and accelerate fat burning in the middle zone to form a six pack.

Also Read : How To Look Fresh And Cheerful Every Morning

Recommended Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *