There are many people who desire to have the best abs and work hard to achieve them. Abs are indicators of a healthy and attractive body. In addition, abs also add to the popularity levels of a person. There are several gymnasiums that promise abs after several weeks of workouts. However, despite these efforts and regular workouts, many people fail to develop abs. It is also worth noting that without identifying the flaws these workouts are doomed to fail. The reason is people sometimes focus on crunches or are perhaps not giving enough attention to these flaws.

Main reasons why ab workouts don’t work

Emphasis on isolated moves 

There is a muscle called TVA (transverse abdominus). Many people while doing ab workouts ignore this muscle and this muscle plays a pivotal role in preventing ab formation. The pelvic twists can however help in better ab formation. It is also worth noting that compound movements should include multiple muscles and multiple joints. In order to activate or affect the TVA, compound movements are compulsory. 

Ignoring the back

Back muscles are important in building flawless abdominal muscles. Therefore, it is vital to put pressure on back muscles and failing to do it will render workouts futile. However, one has to exert a lot of pressure but inflict less injuries. 

Refraining from metabolic conditioning

For abs, it is necessary to understand that metabolic conditioning takes place. Metabolic conditioning will help in increasing the heart rate to maximize or accelerate the digestion process. Burnout however should be avoided. Metabolic conditioning should be done at the end of the workout with around ten burpees, ten push ups and ten jump squats. 

Daily repetition of same exercises 

It is a well-known fact that by doing the same exercises daily, ab workouts might not succeed. This is because the body eventually gets adjusted to those exercises. Gradually, the results become less apparent. Thus, it is imperative to suggest that the exercises should become faster and results should be improved. The body should get the maximum output because the exercises should repeat. 

Mobility improvement

Mobility improvement is directly related to better stability because it leads to abs care. It is vital to understand that superior stability is linked with fewer wounds and more power. Stability exercise is also directed at increasing tension during core stability. Half-kneeling, plank and side planks form the basis of mobility improvement. 

Lack of sleep

It is a matter of fact that weight and sleep are related with each other. It does not matter how hard you work in the gymnasium; lack of proper sleep can deprive you of good abs. Hunger hormones, daily sleeping hours and calorie burning are correlated with each other. Thus, ab workouts compulsorily should be complemented with adequate sleep for better results.

Core activation

The hip flexors hold the key for an effective ab workout. Most core work should be done in the hip flexors. It is a common struggle for many novices. Thus, the best way for core activation is to have an experienced coach or a physical fitness trainer. Hip flexors start working only when the core takes a back seat. 

Paying attention to diet

The diet is the most important aspect in case of workouts. The diet should essentially have a large protein content without which exercising is futile. Avoid all kinds of high carbohydrate and high fat products during ab workout. It is also important to stay hydrated. Moreover, there are many who make the mistake of taking steroids and choose shortcuts. In many instances, these can be counterproductive. 

Myth of spot reduction

Spot reduction during ab workouts is a misconception. Even while squatting it is necessary to understand that incorrect squatting does not lead to high cellulite. This is because it is not so easy to convert fat in the adipose tissue into muscles. Therefore, many develop muscles underneath the fatty portion. So, while targeting for abs, spot reduction must be avoided as it is of no use. 

Reasons why you cannot see your abs

Excessive body fat

Body fat should ideally be around 10 to 18 percent in case you want abs. However, if your fat percentage is lower than this threshold, then you cannot have visible abs. In such a situation, there is no point doing crunches all day long. With training, one can only make abdominal muscle and shape, but the foremost criteria are to have the required fat percentage.

Crunches and sit ups

Bodyweight crunches and sit ups are not always successful in reducing body fat. Prolonged crunches are also of no use if the body metabolism remains low. Therefore, body metabolism needs to be increased and calories need to be burnt faster for better abs. 

Unawareness on how to build body muscle

The ideal solution to this problem is to take fewer reps but with heavier steps. This essentially implies, that the resistance levels need to be added for better ab exercises. One should also do more reps with more sets. For instance, the number of reps for three sets should be between ten to twelve.

Ab area overtraining

Overtraining of just abs will not suffice. Thus, it is advisable that a daily routine of training abs should begin only at the end of training session. It is also crucial to know that other forms of training are vital for ab development as well. Importantly, sufficient time is needed to ensure that the legs and arms have toned down. 

Unsuitable genetic build up

This is one of the few constraints that cannot be overcome. Not all people are fortunate to have the ideal ab genes. For instance, the availability of ideal body fat (10 to 15 percent) is not inherited by everybody. Some are genetically more inclined to lose weight while others do not. 

Wrong intake of nutrients

Losing fat requires a compulsory alteration of nutritional intake. In most situations, a calorie deficit but a nutrient rich diet is necessary. Although certain fad diets can rapidly reduce weight, it is also necessary to regain it for the perfect abs.