Having sculpted abs à la fitness influencer Pamela Reif is a fitness goal of many, yet few managed to achieve it. You work your abs to death and skip chocolates and ice-cream, but why aren’t your abs showing?
It’s easy to lose motivation when you don’t see any results after trying hard for months. As much as we know that it is insanely difficult to get those six-pack abs to show, keep in mind that if she can do it, you can too.
Here are some of the reasons why you aren’t getting the definition that you want, and how you can fix them.
1. You have too much body fat
Your abs aren’t going to show if you have a layer of fat covering them and hence, one of the most important factors in achieving that definition in your core is to have a low body fat percentage.
Spot fat reduction does not work. You need aerobic exercises to burn those calories and you can’t choose which areas of your body to selectively burn off fat from.
Ab workouts will strengthen and bulk up those muscles, but they will not be able to get rid of those bulges at your abdominal area. Always include cardio and HIIT workouts in your routine to burn off the excess fats for your abs to show through.
2. It’s not just about the number of crunches you do
Crunches are our go-to exercise when we think of an ab workout. They do work, of course, but they are not enough. Crunches do not involve your lower abs, just like how sit-ups work only your midsection muscles.
For a more effective ab workout, it is best to follow workout routines that work all the muscles of our core — the rectus abdominis (or the “six-pack”), obliques, transverse abdominis, and the lower back.
3. Abs are made in the kitchen
You’ve heard this saying before and it cannot be more true. You may lose weight from working out but your abs aren’t going to show if you don’t eat clean. Eat less processed food and food that are high in sugar content because your body will store them as fat if they are not burnt off right away.
Opt for complex carbohydrates over refined carbohydrates to prevent getting a heavy mid-section. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables are considered “good carbs” since they do not spike our blood sugar and they help us feel full for a longer period of time.
4. Stress belly
Being stressed is bad enough but now we are bombarded with another piece of bad news – stress gives us a belly. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced by our body when we are in a stressful situation and it releases energy for fight or flight.
While this is necessary for survival for our ancestors who needs to run away from predators, it is less of an everyday requirement in modern-day society.
However, stress from work and our personal life still triggers cortisol production in our body. Studies have shown that prolonged stress is linked to our abdominal fat deposits, and to make things worse, many of us reach out for our comfort food when we are stressed to relieve our anxiety.
5. The six-pack in your fridge
Enjoying a beer may be the perfect way to relax after a long day at work, but remember to always drink in moderation since we want ab definition and not a beer belly.
The calories from beer and the food and snacks that come together with it can increase belly fat significantly. Our liver burns alcohol first instead of fat, and frequent drinking can therefore give us a bigger waistline.
6. Tesla Muscle Former
For those who are looking for a little extra help in their pursuit the six-pack abs, this non-surgical, no downtime treatment may be what you are looking for.
Tesla Former is a medical device that uses FMS (Functional Magnetic Stimulation) technology to strengthen our muscles, tone and sculpt our body on areas like our abs, glutes, hamstring and thighs, calves, arms, back, and our pelvic floor. Tesla Former produces 50,000 contractions per 30-minute session, reaching muscle groups that a normal workout wouldn’t be able to reach, helping us to gain muscles while burning fat at the same time.
A total of 8 weekly sessions are recommended for optimal results, but your doctor will be able to assess your body condition better and recommend what is most suitable for you.
Schedule a consultation with our doctors at Halley Body Slimming Clinic to share your concerns with them and find out more about the Tesla Former treatment.
The use of these treatments/products is dependent on the clinical assessment and judgement of a medical professional. Please consult a medical doctor for an informed discussion on the use of this treatment/product.
