This is the myth of crunches for a flat stomach.
Here’s an email I received this morning and my response:
Hey Emily how are you?
I just wanted to say hello and give you an update. As we have discussed my stomach was always my issue and for some reason it is still there. I have done the crunches, the ab excercises stopped eating after 10. why is it that my gut is not going down like i thought it would???
- L
L-
Unfortunately, there is no “miracle” fix, nor is spot reduction possible. There are more than a few things to adjust, though in assessing what you are trying to accomplish…
You will NEVER see your abs if you have fat covering them, even if you do crunches until you die. Ab exercises will help to strengthen those muscles (and crunches are not even my favorite- more on that another day), but will not help you see them unless you are fairly lean- even a lower body fat percentage for men than women.
Here’s a few things to look at and assess even before you :
- Are you doing intense cardio?
- Are you doing total body resistance training (to burn calories and create more muscle?) If so, are you doing it enough?
- Are you counting your calories and reducing your entire caloric input? It doesn’t matter WHEN you eat, it’s the amount that you eat that really matters.
- Are you consistent in your efforts?
I hope that helps.
Emily
