Are Abdominal Crunches Necessary To Achieve Bodybuilder Caliber Stomach Muscle Definition?
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By :
Francesco Castano
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Bodybuilders frequently seek to develop the abdominal muscles, as this particular area helps produce a visibly pleasing physique. In hopes of achieving the most impressive abdominal shape, bodybuilders regularly pursue body weight exercises such as crunches or sit-ups, and may even increase resistance by adding weight to induce failure within a lower rep range, taxing the abdominal muscles with sufficient intensity to theoretically enhance appearance.
But is the commonly held belief that crunches are the most effective abdominal exercise yet another in the myriad of bodybuilding myths? Not quite, but the idea that direct abdominal exercise is the key to enhancing mid-section appearance is a very misleading suggestion, as exercise is actually the least important concept in producing lean abdominal definition, since a proper diet is the foundation behind the success of any correctly structured abdominal muscle enhancing routine.
For abdominal muscles to achieve the impressive appearance all bodybuilders seek, muscle size need not necessarily increase by any substantial margin, but body fat, which covers abdominal muscles and diminishes their apparent shape, must fall dramatically to improve definition, which is the very goal that all bodybuilders seeking to enhance the mid-section are striving for. Although in other muscle groups, weight lifting is normally the chosen weapon used to improve muscle appearance, abdominal definition is more dependant upon body fat percentage than mid-section muscle size improvements, therefore a properly designed fat loss diet routine is the secret to producing a streamlined, muscular abdominal section.
What many bodybuilders are not aware of is that performing numerous abdominal crunches or sit-ups will cause very little if any stomach appearance improvements unless coupled with substantial body fat reduction, and the latter goal does not depend in any way upon focused abdominal exercise, but rather is contingent on whether meals are correctly constructed for consistent fat loss, and this not only involves the correct caloric intake for a bodybuilder's personal metabolic rate, but also effective protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratios so that suitable macronutrients are available to create an ideal fat burning environment for abdominal definition improvement. The number of bodybuilders who endlessly perform sit-ups or ab crunches without any apparent mid-section appearance improvement is staggering, and due to poor results, they then seek new abdominal sculpting exercises, when in fact, direct stomach exercise is not related to mid-section definition, and any bodybuilder in such a situation is in desperate need of a modified, efficient fat loss diet system.
In addition to a professionally designed diet, a bodybuilder should implement aerobic activity five days per week when he or she is attempting to enhance definition in any part of the body, as although cardiovascular exercise does not substantially improve abdominal definition when following a poorly designed diet routine (which is why many mistakenly assume aerobics is wasteful), cardio activity will significantly improve the speed of fat loss when used in conjunction with a potent diet philosophy. As you'll notice, I have yet to place emphasis upon sit-ups or ab crunches, the two most often pursued solutions by bodybuilders wishing to significantly enhance stomach appearance, as despite their appeal, such exercises actually rank last in terms of priority when aiming for abdominal improvement, behind cardiovascular activity, and the most important factor which numerous bodybuilders fail to address, a intelligently structured fat loss bodybuilding diet routine which will enhance definition in all areas.
The advantages of pursuing a fat loss phase do not only relate to abdominal enhancement, but will actually cause the chest, arms and other muscle groups to appear larger, specifically because they become more shapely after stripping layers of fat. So, when you are wishing to enhance abdominal appearance, remember that sit-ups and crunches are far less important than pursuing effective fat loss diet techniques, despite the hype you've read surrounding crunches. When you decide to focus upon fat reduction, you need not fear muscle loss if you continue to implement proper weight lifting workout techniques, and make certain to never drastically reduce caloric intake, and avoid low carbohydrate diet plans, as both can drastically burn away muscle mass, which will harm, as opposed to improve, overall appearance. Lastly, I recommend that you continue performing sit-ups or ab crunches, but know that the layer of fat must disappear before the fruits of your labor become evident, and this is directly related to how you eat, not abdominal exercise.
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Author Resource:-
Francesco Castano authors MuscleNOW.com, a diet and weight training program teaching the exact techniques for muscle growth without supplements or drugs. He also owns IncrediBody.com, an online fitness superstore selling exercise equipment at guaranteed lowest prices.
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2009-08-05 01:33:46
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