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Exercise is one of the essential factors contributing to healthy weight loss, and it’s not uncommon for people to search for workouts to target certain areas of the body that they’re working to change specifically. Ab workouts are some of the most common exercises used as a means to finally achieve the flat and toned stomach that has reigned as the sought after body type for years. However, the reality is that you cannot actually spot reduce fat on your body no matter how hard you try, and full-body weight loss must take place in order to uncover the abs you’re hoping for. If you’ve found yourself spending hours at the gym doing crunches and sit ups with no visible results, there’s a reason why ab exercises are making very little impact on your weight loss goals for a flat stomach.
When you specifically target your abdominal muscles without doing cardio or other weight training to promote weight loss, all you’re really doing is building up the strength of your core. If you’re still holding onto fat in that area, however, simply strengthening that muscle won’t be enough for abs to show through, and it’s essential to lean out in order to see those results.
“You can gain abdominal mass via loaded core exercises like weighted crunches and dumbbell hanging leg raises. However, if you actually want to reveal your abs or make your stomach flatter, then you need to lose body fat by creating an energy deficit,” explains CPT James Jackson. “An energy deficit is simply where you consume fewer calories than you expend in order to produce weight loss. But that's only one piece of the puzzle.”
Focusing all of your time in the gym on building up your abs can be great if your body is already holding on to a low percentage of fat, but if this is not the case then strengthening your core may actually cause you to appear even bulkier than before. “If you want a toned, flat stomach rather than blocky abs, avoid weighted ab training and stick to bodyweight movements like crunches. In the same way that heavy barbell curls make your biceps bigger, weighted sit-ups and leg raises can actually make your waist more prominent rather than flatter,” suggests Jackson.
However, it’s possible that ab exercises aren’t even a necessary part of your workout routine to achieve a flat stomach. Instead, prioritizing full body strength gain will naturally tighten and tone your tummy, as most strength moves require core strength to complete, naturally creating a flatter stomach over time. If you are set on doing core work, make sure to keep it to a minimum, and leave those exercises to the end of your workout.
Ultimately, the old saying that ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ does actually hold some weight to it, and while you still need to exercise to see positive results, it’s the food you’re fueling your body with which will help to reveal the biggest changes. Creating a healthy calorie deficit consuming less calories than you’re burning will do the most to transform your body, and a combination of full-body exercises and a nutrient dense diet will easily create this change.
“Results from doing core work and a calorie deficit are hard to predict as people lose weight at different rates and from different parts of their bodies. A strong core is vital for everyone and I highly recommend 3-5x a week core work. But I advise strength training to utilize the core- squats, push ups, deadlifts, plank as opposed to traditional crunches,” suggests Pam Sherman, CPT.
When it comes to achieving a flat stomach, the reality is that there’s no quick fix or one single exercise which will propel you towards your goals. In combination with a balanced diet complete with protein, fat, and carbs, an exercise routine that increases your heart rate and promotes calorie burn is going to be the best way to see the results of your hard work.
While ab exercises can build up the muscles of your stomach, you will ultimately have to lose stomach fat in order to see that muscle, so prioritizing fat loss should be your first line of defense for a healthier body. This is not to say that ab exercises don’t have a place in your routine, but if you’re depending on them to achieve the body of your dreams, there are other avenues which will get you there much faster.
