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Given their worldwide recognition as experts in the area of health and fitness, it's not surprising that ab-information.com receives hundreds of questions each week on the topic of abdominal training. The following are the most common questions on developing six-pack abs that we answer of a weekly basis.

Q. Are sit-ups good for fat loss and shrinking my waist?

A. The key to shrinking the waist is getting your diet under control and performing effective abdominal training exercises for the muscles. Sit-ups are no longer recommended for the abs as they primarily target the hip flexors and can be very stressful on the lower back for many individuals.

Q. Should I train abs every day?

A. There is no easy answer to this question. Some experts consider the abs to be just 'another set of muscles' and as such you only need to train them a couple of times per week. Other experts counter that the abs are designed for repeated training and can be worked every day. Our advice is to try both abdominal training approaches and see which one seems to work best for you.

Q. Should I work my whole body or just my abs?

A. The real key to overall health and fitness and developing six-pack abs is dropping your body fat levels. Performing a half hour of abs will burn a few calories and perhaps lower your body fat, but training the whole body will do it much quicker and much more effectively.

Q. Do supplements help?

A. Yes absolutely. Despite a clean diet and regular exercise it's extremely difficult to develop amazing abdominals. You're fighting a couple of million years of human evolution and your body will fight you for those last 10 or 12 pounds. Check out the Super Abs with Super Supplements page for more information on the most effective fat loss supplements.

Q. What is the best ab exercise?

A. It's always risky to suggest that one exercise is 'best' as what works for one person may not work for another. Still most people find that crunches seem to stimulate the abdominal muscles the best. Unlike those old-fashioned sit-ups that were all the rage for decades, crunches eliminate most of the hip flexor involvement that plague sit-ups. Crunches are far less stressful on the lower back than sit-ups as well. You can do crunches on the floor or using one of those big colorful exercise balls.

Q. Can I target my upper and lower abs?

A. The answer to this question is yes''and no! From an anatomy point of view there is really no upper and lower abs. The abdominal muscle fibers don't run sideways but up and down (from pelvis to sternum). The reason that most people assume that there are upper and lower abs is because a well-defined midsection has that six-pack look. You'll see a couple of muscle ridges high beneath the ribcage and a couple low around the bellybutton region. Even though that the abdominal muscle is really one large muscle, it is possible to target the upper and lower sections by performing different exercises. Exercises where the torso moves and legs remain stationary primarily target the upper abs, while the lower abs are hit most effectively by moving the legs and locking the torso.

Q. Will abdominal training help my posture?

A. You bet. Many posture-related problems are related to insufficient abdominal and lower back strength. One of the first things physiotherapists do with rehab patients is start working on their core muscles ' the abs and lower back. But why wait until you have posture problems before you start training your abs. You should be training them a minimum of two to three times a week RIGHT NOW!

Q. Will ab exercises hurt my lower back?

A. No. In fact training your abs will actually help prevent lower back problems. Ab exercises are also go therapy for existing lower back problems. Just be careful to perform your exercises with good form and eliminate movements that are stressful to the lower back such as sit-ups and straight leg, leg raises.

Q. Are side bends a good way to get rid of my love handles?

A. Not a chance. Doing side bends to get rid of love handles is based on the myth of spot reduction. Many people think that by doing high reps for the fat deposits around the waist they can somehow stimulate fat loss in this area. But as we keep saying you can't spot reduce. Only cardio, healthy eating, and weight training to boost the metabolism will effectively get rid of the love handles.

Q. Should I buy one of those home ab-training gadgets?

R. A. Absolutely not! Most of these gadgets are designed to cash in on people's willingness to do virtually nothing but get great results. Unfortunately it's not that easy. Most of those crazy contraptions are either dangerous or just not that effective. You can rock back and forth all day but you won't lose and fat from your waist. If you truly want a rock hard midsection you must clean up your diet. You'll also need to do 3 to 4 sessions of both cardio AND weight training every week. Save your hard-earned cash for healthy food and a gym membership rather than buying one of those foolish ab-training gadgets.