The aesthetic tastes of our culture dictate some differences between the “perfect body” for men and women. Women, for example, are required to develop less volume than men and, moreover, this should be concentrated much more in the lower body than in the upper body. In other words, the opposite of what happens in the case of men. However, there are some aesthetic problems that men and women face equally. In particular, there is one that we could consider universal. We refer -of course- to abdominal fat.

It is common to make the mistake of thinking that the only thing we need to have a flat stomach is to maintain a caloric deficit for the time necessary for us to lose all the fat that we have left over, that is, to lose weight. However, this is not even remotely true. If we want to have a good figure, it is necessary to develop muscle. And it doesn’t matter if we are men or women. We all “need” a strong and balanced musculature.

This exercise to mark abs and get a flat stomach sweeps TiKToK Instagram

Strengthening the muscles of our belly, our waist and our sides will give us the necessary stability to progress and to improve all our marks. In addition, it will allow us to maintain a healthier posture in our day to day, it will reduce back pain, it will improve balance and -even- breathing (thanks to the hardening of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm).

However, training the abdominal muscles also carries its dangers…if not done diligently enough, of course.. It is a muscle group that is at high risk of overtraining and overloads from overworking them. And if that state is reached and the muscle is damaged, recovery can be very slow and difficult.

Are crunches good?

A study published in 2005 by the American magazine 'Military Medicine' showed how, of the total number of injuries sustained during the Army Physical Fitness Test at Fort Bragg (an important US military base), 56% of them were a consequence of the realization of the classic abdominals, that is to say, those that are carried out face up and contracting the muscles of the abdomen.

In addition, classic sit-ups can also be harmful to the lumbar spine, because they increase the pressure between the intervertebral discs.. In the long run, the abuse of this exercise can lead to the development of the well-known protrusions and herniated discs.. They can also be especially harmful to women.. When performing classic sit-ups, a force is generated that increases the pressure within the abdominal space.. And excess intra-abdominal pressure can weaken the pelvic floor muscles.

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For all these reasons, experts recommend that we perform a much more efficient and safe abdominal exercise:

The perfect abs exercise

In 2017, a group of scientists from Harvard University were intrigued by the contentious issue of “the best abdominal exercise” and after rigorous research, they published a study called 'Core Exercises'.. In their conclusions, the experts recommended an exercise: the plates.

Unlike what happens with classic abdominal exercises, which only strengthen the abdominal muscles, planks work all the abdominal muscles in a balanced way; protecting -above all- the lumbar part of the back, which is usually the one that suffers the most with classic abdominals.

To perform a plank correctly, all you have to do is rest your forearms on the ground, forming a 90º angle with respect to the rest of the body, which is kept in line from head to heels, with your legs together and straight.. In this way, our only points of support will be the elbows and the tips of the feet.. When we adopt this position, we will tense the muscles of the abdomen while slightly lifting the hips.

Plank routine: 13 exercises to tone the abdomen Objectivo Bienestar.

Many people tend to think that -because it’s an isometric exercise and doesn’t require muscle compression- this exercise is less intense… or that it won’t give as good results as classic crunches. But the reality is that the results are quickly visible. And no wonder, anyone who has held a plank for about 30 seconds knows to what extent it is a very hard exercise. Once we manage to maintain this position for – at least – 45 seconds, we can begin to include other variations that affect some specific areas of the abdomen.