As I said the other day abs used to be my least favorite part of my body. I was even told by another trainer that I couldn’t get ab definition based on just the idea that not all people can get cuts which is a little absurd. I will admit that yes if you have a lot of excess or loose skin it is something you have to take into account but the abs can still be built up & strengthened despite this in most cases. If you do have this problem then you may need to seek a professional option to get rid of the loose skin & to uncover your abs as this issue cannot be remedied by exercise alone (just being straight up and honest here). So I do understood that there are exceptions to getting ab definition however I have seen many people have babies or come from being very overweight to develop stellar ab definition so it truly depends on the person, their skin elasticity, age, etc. If you put the work in and really believe then I do think most people can take their bodies farther than they realize. In any case it is certainly wrong to tell someone they cannot do something based on nothing but your opinion so that consultation had fired me up more than discouraged me haha!
Hopefully you will feel the same way and are propelled & motivated to see how much you can achieve instead of feeling discouraged or hopeless. It took me a little finagling to figure out how to get the definition I craved. I am not super cut up & sharp like some people but I do have ab definition that I worked hard for. I am very happy with what I have attained and I like this level of definition as it is maintainable for me and I think it works for my personal goals & aspirations. So here are a few things I did and continue to do for my ab definition. Hopefully they will help you too!
*I always try to hit my abs from different angles and use different exercises. Yes I do have favorite ab exercises that I do more often than others but it is important to make sure you do exercises for your entire core, along with low back, oblique, and lower ab moves throughout the week. If you do only crunches you are missing out on hitting some of the other muscles that really help sculpt out your abs. There are so many different exercises out there that you should try to incorporate new ones each week to not only keep your workouts fresh but also to get better results.
*I do NOT just go through the motions. It is easy to just go through the exercises and not really be connected to what you are working out, I used to do it too! If you really use that mind muscle connection not just for your abs but anything you are training you will get better results. By this I mean to squeeze and focus on your abs while you’re performing a crunch or a plank or a bicycle abs exercise. Feel that muscle working and focus in on that instead of just counting reps or seconds. Trust me you will notice how much more tired you are if you do this and you will get a better workout!
*Diet is my best ab popping trick. I am sure many of you have heard abs are made in the kitchen ;). It is true that to get that carve you crave you have to eat well (for most people-there are some genetic freak exceptions who can eat whatever they want but this is rare & generally this does catch up to most of those lucky people!). Sometimes people have sensitivities or allergies (gluten, soy, dairy, certain vegetables, etc) that can disguise abs by bloating their midsection so it is important to pay attention to when you look your best and how you are eating at that time. Other diet related things I follow that helped me are
-Eating smaller meals (which is easier for your body to digest which makes you less likely to bloat).
-Eating less known bloating foods (broccoli, beans, cabbage, gum) and eating more natural bloating remedies (papaya, yogurt (yay for Greek!), apples, pineapple, asparagus, leafy greens, apple cider vinegar, & water)
-Above all being consistant with your healthy eating habits (that doesn’t mean never indulging but it means making better choices the majority of the time on a regular basis).
Ab definition will not appear overnight but It will show if you work hard. Remember the fruit you had to climb the farthest for always tastes the sweetest 😉
Good luck and hopefully I inspired or assisted you in some way!!
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