Personal Training for Abs | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Personal Training for Abs

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Abdominal exercises play a major role in the strengthening of core muscles.
  • Abdominal exercises should be part of an overall fat loss and strength training program.
  • A skilled personal trainer can develop an outstanding well-rounded abdominal exercise routine.

The expanding size of a waistline is one of those things that cause people to head to the gym. A bulging belly can detract from personal appearance. But as the saying goes, “Looks aren’t everything,” and improving looks shouldn’t be the only factor motivating you to shed unwanted belly fat. Coronary disease, diabetes, and other ailments can also come from obesity.

Shedding excess fat can potentially reduce health risks.

Hitting the gym and performing a ton of abdominal exercises might be the most common way people try to get rid of belly fat. Unfortunately, being motivated to hit the gym hard doesn’t always lead to the best results.

For those hitting a plateau with their fitness goals, maybe it is time to start booking sessions with a personal trainer. A skilled personal trainer possesses solid knowledge about ab exercises and how to perform them as part of a proper, well-rounded workout.

For access to personal trainers that can help you strengthen your core, sign up for an Exercise.com PRO plan today.

The Big Myth About Ab Work

Probably the biggest and most pervasive myth about abdominal exercises is that they can spot-reduce fat from the belly. The human body’s metabolism simply does not work this way. Fat typically burns gradually and evenly throughout the body.

Abdominal exercises alone won’t slim out a stomach, but the right diet and exercise program will. Now, this is not said to put a damper on those who want to lean out their stomachs. Losing weight and developing a flat stomach is possible, but not through abdominal exercises alone.

Abdominal exercises are beneficial and serve many purposes, which is why they are important to any serious personal training program. Mostly, abdominal exercises support core strength, a type of strength that’s valuable to the performance of daily tasks. And yes, building up the core muscles helps speed up metabolism. A faster metabolism could mean less fat.

What Is Core Strength?

The core muscles are commonly described as those muscles at the center of the “X” your arms and legs form. Obviously, abs comprise a significant number of core muscles. They, along with the rest of the trunk, help support stability when they work together. Enhanced core strength allows for better exertion of force.

Often, people assume enhanced core strength only assists with athletic performance. A strong core absolutely enhances athletic performance, but there are other more common benefits to maintaining a strong core. Once the core muscles have been strengthened, the ability to handle daily tasks improves.

Life becomes less of a strain when the body is strong enough to function more efficiently and effortlessly. Large compound movements do help with strengthening the core, but so do those important ab exercises.

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The Role of a Personal Trainer

Effectively getting the most out of abdominal exercises requires picking the right exercises at the right number of repetitions. Of course, using the best form during the exercises is critical, or else the exercise won’t deliver the best results.

A personal trainer knows how to structure abdominal workouts. Doing so could help reduce the chances of injury. Some sources suggest working the abs at high reps every day, but that approach could set the stage for a muscle pull or worse. A trainer would keep you from performing such scary workouts.

Well-Rounded Exercises for Abs

Not all abdominal exercises are the same. Different exercises stress different areas of the abs. Working ab exercises that hit the same spots on the abdominal muscles won’t deliver the best results. Side bends, for example, isolate and stress the obliques.

Planks help maximize the development of core strength and muscular endurance. Ab crunches hit across all the stomach muscles and remain the most popular exercises next to sit-ups. A varied selection of exercises helps ensure the abs are not neglected in any way.

Proper Performance

Minor improvements on certain exercises definitely boost their ability to deliver the desired and preferred result. A popular “old school” ab exercise entails performing a forward crunch while kneeling and holding onto a triceps rope extension pulley. Oftentimes, this cable crunch is done as a finisher.

Unfortunately, people tend to mistakenly hold the rope with extended arms. Your hands should be at the crown of the head or shoulders. Extended arms decrease the distance the weight travels, which undermines the exercise’s effectiveness. A watchful personal trainer corrects mistakes like this and increases the ability for the exercises to work as intended.

Unique Ab Workout Options

Not all abdominal workouts come in the form of performing just ab exercises. Various different workouts can put secondary stress on the abs, which helps them become stronger and more defined. Cardio kickboxing workouts are a perfect example of unique training sessions capable of improving the core and stressing the abdominals in a good way.

Some suggest sprints are perfect for building up the abdominals. Trainers can mix cardio kickboxing, pilates, weight training, and specific ab exercises into truly solid ab programs.

Staying Laser-Focused on the Main Goal

Again, a common reason why people like to work abdominal muscles is that they want to look leaner. Diet choices and an overall weight training program would help the cause immensely.

Personal trainers know how to integrate additional training, advice, and guidance to support reliable and consistent weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I find a personal trainer?

You can either search directly online, ask your local gym, or use our PRO membership to access online personal trainers.

Can personal trainers come to your house?

Yes! Some personal trainers do train clients in their own homes.

What if I don’t like my personal trainer?

That’s completely okay! Finding a personal trainer that you connect with is important. If you do not like your personal trainer, make sure that you cancel any upcoming appointments to avoid being charged and either ask your gym for a new trainer or ask friends or family if they have any recommendations.

A trainer can create valuable and useful routines that are capable of motivating you to crush your personal goals! Connect with a personal trainer today by going PRO. Sign up now!

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