Our focus is to turn the light on these hard-held beliefs on fitness, training, and health and to shed away the misconceptions that, despite the wealth of knowledge in the wellness industry, still exist today.

By Mirvat Ammouri

Myth
Doing crunches, sit-ups, and planks will slim my waist and show my packs.

Truth
Muscles and fat are two different things in your body. One doesn’t turn to the other. Doing exercises like crunches or resistance training using weights strengthens the muscles making them look strong and toned.

For the muscles to show, however, you need to shed off the layers of fat under the skin that hide them away. And to do that, a good high-intensity cardio regimen must be a part of your overall workout routine.

Conclusion
Having washboard abs that your friends would envy is more than just abs exercises. In addition to a healthy nutritious diet, exercises focusing on fat burning are essential.

Recommendation

• Eat clean: Healthy fats, well-sourced proteins, and complex organic carbs.
• Have a well-rounded weight training/resistance training program targeting all muscles.
• 2-3 times per week of high-intensity cardio (30 minutes is enough). Get your heart really pumping and break a real sweat.