#1 - Ab exercises don't always give the best workout. This one might seem a little counter-intuitive, at least on paper. Many of us have long been told us that in order to get that flat stomach, you need to ruthlessly work out your abdominals through isolation exercises such as sit ups and crunches. This is profoundly untrue. The best way to exercise your abdominals and build that six-pack is to focus on compound exercises that focus not just on your abs but on your entire core.
#2 - Constant cardio alone will not make beautiful abs. This is another long-held belief that gets people nowhere in the fitness world. The truth is, cardio is no match for high intensity resistance training, at least for building up your abdominal strength and definition. Cardio will help you burn fat but the big exercises like cleans and deadlifts will always give you a better stomach than endless hours of cardio alone.
#3 - There's really no such thing as 'tone.' Tone is just muscle without fat covering it. Work on building your core and ab muscles while losing fat and then you'll see the stomach that you want.
#4 - No, that late-night abdominal commercial won't help you lose weight and get the abs you long to have. Everyone's seen them, the late night ads promising five inches off your waist in one week, so long as you use their amazing new machine. 99% of the abdominal machines you seen on TV are useless, and the ones that do work are vastly ineffective when compared with actual plyometric and resistance exercises. Don't fall victim to another ab scam, instead focus on the workouts and diet that actually produce results.
#5 - Your abs are not special. No, they're not. They're no different from any other muscle group in your body, in terms of training. They don't need a workout every day, and they won't grow from any magic herbal pills. The only way to get the abs you want is by dieting and training intelligently. Don't buy into the hokus pokus formulas, instead work at your abdominals and craft a physique that will make you proud.
