Why training your abs isn't the best way to lose weight - here's what to do instead.
Summer is our fav time for beaches, barbecues, and alllll of the outdoor activities! As the weather warms up, many of us begin to focus on getting “in shape for the season.” This is a great goal to strive for (if it feels empowering to you) - but there are many misconceptions about the best ways to “lost stomach fat.” One of the most common misconceptions is that training your abs is the most effective way to lose weight and I thought this was a great conversation as summer gets closer. <3
With a quick scroll through Instagram, it's easy to see why people might believe that abs training is the key to a toned physique. After all, six-pack abs have long been associated with athleticism, health, and attractiveness. However, the truth is that training your abs alone isn't enough to achieve sustainable weight loss, an athletic body, and let it be known: a body with abs does not necessarily resemble a happy and healthy body.
In fact, what ends up happening is many will focus too much on training their abs and end up filled with disappointment and frustration, thinking that “nothing works” for them. If you’ve been there, you’re not alone - and I promise this is not true!
Today, we're going over why training your abs isn't the most effective way to lose weight. We'll also provide tips on how to achieve your weight loss goals in a healthier, more sustainable way. By the end of this post, you'll understand why it's important to focus on overall health and wellness, rather than just looking snatched with a six pack! 😋
The TRUTH About Training Your Abs
How “ab training” works
Abdominal muscles are a critical component of the core muscles, which play a significant role in stabilizing and supporting the spine and pelvis. Traditional abs exercises like crunches, planks, and sit-ups can help strengthen these muscles, leading to improved posture, balance, and flexibility. However, it's essential to recognize that these exercises alone won't lead to visible abs or significant weight loss.
While training your abs can improve core strength and stability, achieving visible abs requires more than just strengthening these muscles. The appearance of visible abs is primarily determined by your body fat percentage. To achieve a visible six-pack, you need to have a low body fat percentage, typically below 15% for men and 20% for women.
So while abs training can help to build stronger core muscles, it won't necessarily result in visible abs unless combined with a healthy diet and overall weight loss plan. The most effective way to achieve weight loss is by creating a calorie deficit through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise, including cardio and full-body strength training. By focusing on sustainable habits and a balanced approach to exercise and nutrition, you can achieve your weight loss goals in a healthy and lasting way, leading to a more defined and toned midsection as a result.
its all in the diet
I’m sure you’ve already heard it before: to reduce body fat and reveal your abs, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than you burn from day-to-day. A caloric deficit can be more easily achieved through a balanced diet that is rich in whole foods, lower in processed foods, and higher in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. These foods are not “required” for weight loss, but it will certainly be the healthiest and easiest approach with less obstacles to have to get through (ie: more cravings, hunger pangs, low energy levels, fatigue).
Protein is especially important for maintaining and building muscle mass while also keeping you full and satisfied for longer. Additionally, healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, can help regulate hormone levels and promote satiety, making it easier to stick to a calorie-restricted diet. Yay! A majority of your whole food choices will create these longer lasting effects of fullness - so this is helpful when cutting calories down from what your body expects and is used to right now.
On the otherhand, processed foods and sugary drinks are higher in calories and provide very little nutritional value - this is okay in balance, but it makes it harder for most people to create change when these foods take up too much of their diet. These higher processed foods also tend to be low in fiber, which can lead to increased feelings of hunger and overeating. Instead, go for for your whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates like brown rice or quinoa.
You can also order our nutrition guide for a complete breakdown of nutrition, macros, and calories.
Role of overall body fat percentage in revealing abs
Another important factor in visible abs is overall body fat percentage. While it's possible to have strong abs but still carry excess body fat, a low body fat percentage is necessary for a majority of people to reveal the definition of the muscles. For men, visible abs typically requires a body fat percentage of around 10-12%, while women typically need a body fat percentage of 16-19%. This requires a combination of regular exercise, a healthy diet, and lifestyle changes that promote fat loss.
By understanding the importance of a healthy diet and overall body fat percentage in revealing abs, you can begin to approach your weight loss goals in a more effective and sustainable way!
Why Training Your Abs ALONE Isn’t Effective
Spot Reduction is a myth
One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss is that you can spot reduce fat in a specific area of your body, such as your abs. While the idea seems cool, burning off stored energy and building muscle aren’t the same things and they don’t work in the same ways.
Several studies have shown that spot reduction is a myth, and that fat loss occurs throughout the entire body, rather than in a specific area - this is naturally left up to our genetics where we will see the most obvious signs of fat loss first (and it can change with time too!).
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2013 found that performing ab exercises alone did not lead to a reduction in belly fat in overweight and obese women. In fact, the women who performed ab exercises actually had a slightly higher belly fat percentage than those who did not perform ab exercises.
While you may feel a burn in your abs during a crunch or plank, the actual fat loss will still only occur throughout the entire body, not within the stomach area. It won’t even make it just a little more likely to burn fat in that area; you are truly better off changing up your routine!
Importance of a balanced exercise routine
To achieve sustainable weight loss and overall wellness, it's important to have a balanced training routine that includes a variety of activities that you enjoy. While abs training can help strengthen your core muscles, it's only one piece of the puzzle. To achieve significant fat loss, you'll also benefit adding in strength training and cardio into your routine.
Cardio exercises are an effective way to burn calories and lose weight. Some great examples include running, cycling, stairmaster, and swimming. These movements increase your heart rate, which helps your body burn more calories and fat. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise.
While cardio is the traditional route to go for burning calories, strength training plays a key role in fat loss - and you should be using it to your advantage if you enjoy it! Strength training increases muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism to help you burn more calories from day-to-day. This is because muscle tissue is more “metabolically active” than fat tissue, meaning that it requires more energy to maintain. As a result, having more muscle mass can help you burn more calories throughout the day, leading to greater fat loss too in the long run!
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, strength training can increase resting metabolic rate by up to 7 percent, which is an additional 50 to 100 calories per day (up to 700 calories more per week). To get the most benefits from strength training, it's important to focus on exercises that target multiple muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and rows. It's also important to challenge yourself by gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets in your workouts.
Tips for effective weight loss
more sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial for weight loss as it helps regulate hormones that control appetite and metabolism. When you're sleep-deprived, the hormone that regulates hunger, ghrelin, increases, while the hormone that suppresses appetite, leptin, decreases. This can lead to increased cravings and overeating, making it harder to maintain a calorie deficit.
Research has shown that people who sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, participants who were assigned to sleep for 8.5 hours per night lost more body fat than those who slept for 5.5 hours per night, even when both groups consumed the same number of calories.
To ensure you get enough sleep, aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and try to establish a consistent sleep routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, can help regulate your body's internal clock and improve sleep quality (which can also improve mental health). Also, reducing screen time before bed and creating a relaxing bedtime environment can also improve sleep quality. This means avoiding bright screens (such as phones, laptops, and televisions) at least an hour before bed, keeping the bedroom dark and cool, and using relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation to unwind before sleep.
more protein
Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in various functions of the body, including building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes and hormones, and maintaining muscle mass. When it comes to weight loss, protein is particularly important because it can help reduce appetite and increase metabolism, which can lead to a calorie deficit and promote fat loss.
Studies have shown that consuming a high-protein diet can increase feelings of fullness and reduce overall calorie intake throughout the day. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of daily calories resulted in significant reductions in body weight, body fat, and waist circumference.
In addition to reducing appetite, protein can also increase metabolism by stimulating the thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF refers to the energy required to digest, absorb, and metabolize nutrients in food, and protein has a higher TEF than carbs and fat. This means that consuming protein can increase calorie burning and support your weight loss goals!
To incorporate more protein into your diet, aim to include a source of protein in each meal and snack. Good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lentils, beans, and nuts. Be mindful of portion sizes and try to balance your protein intake with other nutrients such as healthy carbohydrates and fats!
More Fun
If you enjoy training your abs and want to incorporate more ab-specific exercises into your routine, you can do so in addition to your full-body strength training and cardio exercises. While ab-specific exercises alone won't lead to significant weight loss or visible abs, they can still improve core strength, posture, and stability. Plus, incorporating exercises you enjoy can make your workouts more enjoyable and sustainable in the long run. However, it's important to remember that to achieve significant weight loss, you'll still need to focus on creating a calorie deficit through nutrition and cardio exercises.
Let’s say you actually just really enjoy training your abs and you don’t care if its the most efficient - you don’t really need worry about it. Its not that serious, and you won’t actually notice what’s more or less efficient in reality because you don’t have much to compare it to. If you’re making progress and you’re happy, that’s what you should stick with. Going into training, nutrition, and lifestyle changes with the mindset of enjoyment, similar to a hobby, it makes the process much more exciting, makes you feel more alive, and it creates a healthier mindset around wellness. <3
Final Thoughts
The main takeaways are: to focus on a caloric deficit, find a diet that makes you feel good, find a training and/or cardio routine that makes you feel good, and apply for coaching if you’re struggling with finding the right approach to your goals! :)
