There are many myths about how the ab muscles should work and should look. Myths also abound about how helpful certain exercises are and how they will achieve results. But, these myths can result in an improper exercise technique and adverse results. To make the most out of abdominal exercises, it’s important to know the truth about abs and ab exercises.

One such myth is that abs in good condition will be flat. Some believe that abs that aren’t flat just need more exercise. But, a flat stomach is something that most people can not achieve. Ab muscles are not perfectly flat, even when there is no fat layer on top of them. Abs that are healthy will look rounded, but they will look even more so if there is fat on top. Some do ab routines to rid themselves of their stomach fat. But, it is only another myth. Exercising the abs does not remove abdominal fat. Even if the abs are strong and toned, they may be covered by abdominal fat. Abdominal fat can only be melted by eating a proper diet.

The myth believed by some is that these muscles work differently and must be worked in a different way. Some people will exercise their other muscles every few days, but they will work their abs each day. The abdominal muscles, however, need a rest period just like any other muscle group. These muscles will benefit from time to recuperate for awhile between the workouts, just like other muscles do. The desirable practice is to do ab routines 2-3 times each week to get the abs into optimal condition.

Sit ups are a very common way to exercise the abs. A myth exists that sit ups are the only thing you need in order to exercise the abs. But, sit ups work different muscles. To get a better result, different exercises should be done to work the muscles from different angles.

With exercises that do work, many seek to do high numbers of reps to meet their ab goals. Because many are working the abs improperly, it can take more repetitions to fatigue the abdominal muscles. This can lead to more reps being done to achieve the goal. There is some truth to this myth. The goal of having fatigued abs after they have been worked is important. But, it shouldn’t require 50-100 reps to achieve this. Anytime that it does take a large number of repetitions to work the muscles sufficiently, they may not be working properly. Some of these people may be using their own body’s momentum to make the reps easier to do rather than working their muscles. You may also be positioned incorrectly, resulting in less resistance and a lesser workout.