Online since 2000
Power. Strength. Stamina. These are just a few adjectives that spring to mind when we walk past someone who really ahs it going on in the physique department. If you're a man who has seen countless muscular men over the years, there's one area that you're probably interested in above all others: the abs.
There's a good reason for this. From a biological standpoint, it's a strong marker of good health. And let's face it, women want healthy guys to be with. So if you want the best women to really get interested in you, raising the bar in the fitness department wouldn't be a bad idea.
Another good reason is your overall health and longevity. Reducing that excess weight around the belly will help to prevent many illnesses like heart disease and will help to keep your back and body strong.
The trouble with trying to raise your fitness profile is that there's just so much bad information going around.
Just as the world of women’s fitness used to spread the myth that lifting weights will make you too bulky and unappealing (which is very much not true at all, but that's another guide for another day), there are myths when it comes to building rock hard abs. Let's cover some right now.
The biggest myth that immediately comes to mind is that sleep and recovery are overrated. To build muscle and lose excess weight or maintain your ideal weight, recovery time and adequate sleep are important.
If you really want to be a "hardbody", you're going to need to train constantly to get the abs that you want. Like anything in life, everything must be done in moderation. Unfortunately, it becomes a game between guys to see who can cram in enough workouts every week before they pass out. The trouble with this myth is that you can really injure yourself. When you push past your limits, you will find that injury is almost a certainty.
Is it possible to raise your limits gradually over time and grow your muscles at the same time? Absolutely. The trouble comes when people immediately think on Day One that they’re supposed to have rock hard, washboard abs.
Building abs is going to take time and overtraining is only going to delay you. So when you really think about it, time isn't the enemy here -- overtraining is.
Another myth that seems to be going strong is the idea that there's a time limit for creating abs in the first place. So if you’re relatively young, it's okay to build the abs that you want.
However, if you're in your 40's or even 50's (or older!) you will not be able to get the abs that you want. That's just not the case at all. There are many, many people who have maintained a stunning physique virtually their entire lives, even when they didn't start early.
Jack LaLanne was very active, even in his 90's. So there's no reason to think that you won't be able to do the same things.
Let's not forget the myth that says that you have to only focus on the abs in terms of your workouts. Folks, if people only had to focus on the abs for their whole fitness career, they would be bored out of their skulls!
We get it - you want powerful, rock hard abs. But the entire body is a system, and it's not a system where you can just drill one part until you get it where you want it.
No, if you're really interested in getting a better body all over, you’re going to have to make sure that you train the body as a whole.
Split your workouts into compound movements with weights or even isolation exercises on various days. You will find that at the end of it, you will not only just have great abs -- but you'll have a great body as well!
Online since 2000