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There are multiple false claims made my many marketers and fitness enthusiasts about the best way to get a six pack.

For 95%, don’t believe what you read.

In this article, we will explore the top 7 six pack myths to show you exactly how to get those washboard abs sure to break some necks at the back. .

What It Takes To Get A Six Pack – Top 7 Myths

Myth #1 – You can get abs in 5 minutes a day!

One of my favorite claims by all the marketers is that sick pack abs can be attained in just 5 minutes a day.

If abs took 5 minutes a day, wouldn’t everyone have them? Who doesn’t want a great core?

This is a myth for two reasons.

For one, I don’t think you should workout abs every day.

You don’t work out other muscle groups every day (or at least I hope not) and abs should be no different.

And secondly, you can workout abs all you want and never have 6-pack abs showing.

The main way to attain abs is to lower your body fat percentage. You do this via a caloric deficit and losing weight.

If you have fat covering your abs, you will never have a visible six pack.

Myth #2 – The best way to achieve six pack abs is through crunches!

Crunches are not synonymous with a six pack.

As I stated in the point #1, getting great abs are acquired via a low body fat percentage.

If you really want to acquire visible six pack, stop doing crunches and get on the treadmill.

The more calories you burn, the quicker you will lose the fat and see the abs.

Crunches are not a high-calorie burning exercise and are much less likely to get visible abs than if you were to do high-calorie exercises like running or interval training.

Running burns more than triple the amount of calories as crunches do.

Myth #3 –  Spot fat removal is possible!

Unfortunately, the body cannot lose fat from certain spots. As a result, it is not possible to remove fat from a specific area of the body, naturally.

Where fat is distributed on our bodies is highly genetic.

When we burn calories and lose weight, it is solely up to our bodies where the weight is taken from.

I hear a lot of people complain about having love handles and what to do about them.

The only answer to that is to keep losing weight, exercising, and burning calories, and eventually, the fat will reduce from the desired area.

Myth #4 – Ab muscles are different from every muscle on the body!

Unfortunately, many people believe that abdominal muscles are different than every other muscle.

A lot of people work their abs out daily with the hope that the more they work them out, the quicker they will attain that desired six pack.

However, the truth about getting six pack abs is that abdominal muscles are no different than every other muscle in the body and should not be worked out every day.

Two to three good ab workouts per week are more than plenty to achieve great abdominal strength.

Myth #5 – You have to do high repetitions to get results!

As I stated earlier, abs are just like every other muscle group.

Therefore, you should train them like every other muscle group as well.

You wouldn’t do 100 reps on bench press, would you?

Abs are no different.

Just like every other muscle, abs become stronger via overloading of the muscle.

To make strength gains, perform exercises to overload the muscles with slow and controlled form.

Instead of busting out 100 reps of crunches, perform 10-15 reps and make them very slow and controlled with 4-5 second holds in the flexed position at the top of the rep.

Challenge yourself with other ab exercises as well such as sit-up v-up, planks, and scissor kicks.

If you really want to challenge yourself try some of the phenom fitness killer ab workouts : Killer Home Ab Workout, Superset Ab Workout, and Intense Hanging Ab Workout Video.

Myth #6 – You need special equipment to attain abs!

Special equipment is not necessary for killer ab workouts.

All you need for a great ab workout is an empty space, a mat for comfort, and a desire to work hard.

Infomercials try to sell you products that have found the “magic solution” to six pack abs and often times, the products are ineffective at stimulating your core anyway.

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you are going to invest money into home workout equipment, invest in something that has multiple uses such as dumbbells, an EZ-bar, resistance bands and tubes, or an exercise ball.

Myth #7 – For lower abs, special exercises have to be done!

There are no special exercises for lower abdominal muscles.

The reason that many people only have the top 4 abs and not the bottom 4 abs are fat.

Fat can tend to cover only a portion of your abs.

The only way to achieve the full six pack is to continuously lose body fat and as we discussed earlier, there is no spot fat removal.

Eventually, after you burn enough calories and lose enough fat, the stubborn belly fat will go away and your abs will be more visible than ever!

When you stimulate your core, all your core muscles are stimulated, not only the top, or only the bottom.

The Truth About The Benefits Of Strong Abs

You’re probably wondering what the point of even doing abs is then.

Getting a strong abdomen plays a role in the appearance of your six pack abs but it is just not what you would expect.

I do not like to put percentages on something like this, but as a general reference, I would estimate that it is about a 70-30 ratio of low body fat to strong abs.

So 70% of your getting a visible six pack sh0wing would be because of a low body fat percentage while 30% would be because of a strong core.

A stable core does have many benefits besides appearance.

A strong core is extremely important for:

  • Posture and lower back support.
  • Great spine support
  • Eliminate any potential back problems
  • Sports performance (having a strong core can add a great amount of power)

In conclusion, to get a six pack, eat less, exercise more, and don’t be fooled by infomercials and unnecessary products.

Daniel Maman

Daniel Maman's two biggest passions in life are health and fitness. He is a certified personal trainer, has a degree in exercise science, and spends his free time keeping up to date with the latest research. In his free time, you can find him playing basketball, bouldering, and spoiling his dog, Luna.

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