Everybody wows at a pair of washboard abs and though it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, many people want to have them. Why is it not that healthy? Because it requires a certain percentage of body fat so you can actually show those abs. Otherwise you might have tight abdominal muscles and since they will be covered in fat, they won’t show. For men, this percentage is usually around 8-12%, while for women it’s 12-15%. These are still not the “totally unhealthy” body fat percentages, but they get close to that scale. Too skinny is also not good, especially since your body needs some level of fat to function properly.
The problem with abs is that most people don’t know how to get them. The logic is that doing crunches for a few months should yield satisfactory results, but studies show that the effect of abdominal exercises on burning fat on that area is very small. This means that no matter how many crunches you do, you won’t get those abs you dream of. Not to mention that crunches are not the best exercise for abs.
The truth is that if you want to really show those washboard abs, you have to focus on your diet. Reduce your calorie intake so you can lose some weight. You can also get aid from food supplements, but don’t overdo it – they won’t do the work for you. A caloric deficit combined with cardiovascular work should be a great way to get things going. On top of that you will have to do some abdominal exercises, but don’t think that they’ll be the one giving you the best results. Abs are cooked in the kitchen. It’s about 15% exercise and 85% diet. Watch your caloric intake, do exercises, and the magic will happen.
