Find Out Why Your Ab Workout Doesn’t Work

Published: June 8, 2022

Summer is already here, and after spending so many days at the gym, you should be seeing fantastic results by now. Needless to say, everyone has abdominal muscles or abs. However, abs might not be visible because of all the fat that surrounds them. If you feel like you have been crunching all day and night for nothing, then you must have been doing something wrong. What do you think is the problem? Is it the way you are doing exercises? Are your cravings holding you back? Some of the best personal trainers at DubaiPT have decided to show you why your ab workout doesn’t work. You still have time to see your best body transformation, so don’t give up just yet! 

You are not paying attention to the food you eat

Haven’t you heard that abs are made in the kitchen? Almost 80% of defined abs is good nutrition, 10% working out, and the other 10% age or genetics. Everyone has a different body and metabolism, but a proper and balanced weight loss diet plan can help you develop more defined abs. This diet needs to contain a great amount of protein for building muscles. Moreover, you need healthy fats and carbohydrates to keep you energized while working out. You may want to avoid food with high calories and low nutritional value such as fatty or sugary foods. Even if you are working out every day, bad eating habits will sabotage your body from getting abs. Be mindful, that if you struggle to get abs it might be as well that you are not eating enough.

You are not getting enough sleep

You heard it right! Lack of sleep can be an ab killer. Sleep is highly important for muscle recovery and repair, but also the number 1 cause of body stress. When your body is under a lot of stress, it releases cortisol which sends information to your body to store fat. If your body is not getting enough sleep and rest, it won’t respond to any kind of workout. Moreover, less sleep will affect the number of calories you will burn daily. Ideally, 6-8 hours of sleep every night will raise your energy for the next day and get your proteins to break down. If you feel like you don’t have time for everything, you can always refer to the monthly meal plan Dubai nutritionists prepared for you. Following their advice alongside with rest will help you get your summer abs in no time. 

Crunches and sit-ups will not bring you defined abs

If you are doing only crunches and sit-ups and still wondering why your ab workout doesn’t work, it is time to stop! This is not how things work at all. In fact, many personal trainers consider them overrated. Crunches do not target all those deep abdominal muscles you are aiming for. They can be counterproductive because every time you tighten your muscles, you are disrupting your spinal curve. Excessive crunches and sit-ups may lead to bad posture and back pain in the long run. Instead, why don’t you find a yoga instructor Dubai and try it out? Yoga exercises target your ab muscles in a more efficient way than a number of crunches. It is a wonderful way to improve your flexibility and relieve stress. 

Too much cardio can have a negative impact on your six-pack

Another great misconception is that putting cardio in focus will make your body more defined. Cardio training will definitely help you lose weight and reduce body fat. However, doing too much cardio can slow down your metabolism, especially with the wrong diet. If you keep pushing and lifting weights daily, your body will not get the proper recovery it needs. If your metabolism slows down, you will lose time trying to reduce fat around your abs and your six-pack goals will stay in the past. Additionally, you may try boxing in Dubai which will strengthen your body and core muscles. Both aesthetic and functional abs can be developed with a great boxing session. 

You are focusing on quantity rather than doing quality exercises

Just because you do 50 crunches or other ab exercises, doesn’t mean you will get to see results soon. The real key result to defined and strong abs is about quality, not a number of exercises. By doing the same workouts repeatedly, your body will get used to it and they stop becoming efficient. This only means that you are overloading your muscles with unnecessary exercises. Instead, do exercises that are great for your transverse abs and obliques. Don’t spend days in the gym on such sunny days, and go out for a great football match. Dubai football is a fantastic way to build abs. After all, the toned body and amazing physique of football players have only shown that this sport is wonderful for engaging your ab muscles. 

How you are breathing may affect your overall workout results

Another crucial thing when it comes to why your ab workout doesn’t work is abdominal breathing. Sometimes, you simply wish to get over your training and go home. You speed things up and forget to breathe properly. You need to be breathing with your diaphragm expanding your belly outward. Your inner ab muscles will lengthen and shorten with each breath. Your ab muscles will aid your diaphragm and give you more energy and power to empty your lungs. So next time you are in the gym, focus on each move you make and breathe slowly to achieve great results. It is still not late to get your perfect summer abs in Dubai! Make sure to implement all these tips the next time you hit the gym and you won’t regret it.