Science Fact Or Fiction: Hourglass Abs Workout
Defined abdominal muscles or “abs” have become a symbol of fitness and health. For this reason, the internet is full of information about how you can achieve a six pack. The latest influencers are posting their spot reducing formulas on the internet which can be incredibly convincing.
What does this workout entail?
The hourglass workout is 10 exercises, performed each for 60 seconds with no rest. These exercises include
Basic Crunches Bicycle Kicks Jack Knives Russian Twists Toe Taps Bicycle Crunches Scissor Kicks Reverse Crunches Butterfly Kicks
The big question: Will doing just this 10-minute ab workout regularly change someone’s figure?
The problem with many abs exercises is that they promote the idea of ″spot training″, which is ultimately focusing on one body part during exercise to change it. Spot training your stomach cannot get you ripped abs.
The old saying ″abs are made in the kitchen," is somewhat true. Getting defined abdominals is a lot harder than many people make it look, and simply doing this workout in isolation likely won’t get you there.
Yes, it may certainly feel like you’re getting a very toned waistline due to the burning sensation as you do your crunches, however the fatigue and burning sensation you feel after doing a continuous ab burner, such as the hourglass 10-minute ab circuit, comes from fatigue because blood flow to the muscle drops, which means there’s less oxygen available to the muscle. Less oxygen means your muscles end up feeling burnt-out, but there is no connection between this effect and actually burning fat or building muscle.
Let's cover what the role of our abdominals actually are...
Abdominal muscles help stabilise your core. They also assist your breathing, allow movement, protect your internal organs and are in charge of postural support and balance.
- Rectus abdominis
- Transverse abdominis
- External oblique
- Internal oblique
It’s important to maintain strength in all these muscles. Strong abdominal muscles can help improve posture and balance. They can also help reduce back pain and increase flexibility [1]Exercising your abdominal muscles will strengthen them. However, twisting, crunching and side bending will not make your abdominal muscles visible if they’re covered by a substantial layer of fat.
Subcutaneous: Subcutaneous fat is located between the skin and the outer abdominal wallVisceral: visceral fat – the kind that wraps around the internal organs
When present in large amounts, subcutaneous (under the skin) fat will prevent you from seeing your abdominal muscles. In order to have defined abs or a six pack, you need to get rid of subcutaneous fat from your abdominal area.
Are there any risks?
Trying to reach unrealistic aesthetic goals can be harmful to mental and physical health. Chiselled abs are not a marker of internal health, someone’s relationship with food or their mental wellbeing. It’s important to try give in to unrealistic standards of beauty and ever-changing body “ideals”, as hard as that may be.
Majority of the time we need to ask ourselves WHY we are exercising? Is it for our mental health? Is it to reach a certain fitness goal or is it to only burn calories. Exercise should be something you enjoy and look forward to, not something that’s torturous and resembles punishment.
The verdict
When looking at a 10-minute abdominal workout to achieve an hourglass figure and clench the waistline, it's not possible through exercise alone. Spot reducing is an ineffective way to build muscle tone. Rather focus on eating a balanced diet as well as doing exercise you enjoy that increases total energy expenditure whilst being able to use your core.
We’re definitely not for unrealistic beauty standards and more for a balanced approach to health and wellness.
CATCH UP NOW:
