When people start a workout regiment, questions like “how do I get a 6-pack” or “what should I do to strengthen my abs”, get asked a lot. So lets talk about strengthening abs.

There are so many abs exercises to chose from. In my opinion, the best way to strengthen your abs is to choose exercises that are hard for you to complete. Not just doing the same crunches and adding reps. Try knee crunches. If those are easy for you, try reverse crunches. The list of ab exercises seem endless. However, it’s been my experience that you will find success by finding the right ab exercise that feels impossible to complete a set.

Instead of the focus being how to get a 6-pack, more importantly the focus should be “how do I strengthen my core”? Here’s the reason why. Strong core muscles make it easier to do many activities, like swinging a golf club, get a glass from the top shelf, or bending down to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles can lead to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries. We all want to enjoy life and have the ability to take care of ourselves as we age. Strong core muscles will help you.

Another question I hear “is it better to use your body weight or free weights”? Again, I go back to the same answer as strengthening your abs. You want the exercises to be difficult. If you find pull ups easy, then by all means use heavy free weights where you find it almost impossible to complete a set.

Finding the routine that you enjoy is important. You might enjoy strength training 3 days, or a kick-boxing class 2 days a week. I find it’s important to be active daily. Exercise daily. Whether it’s going on an hike, taking a walk in the park, going to the gym, or riding bikes. Staying active everyday will help keep your muscles loose, you will burn calories, and improve your heart health.

Self discipline is the key!! Anyone can sit on the couch and watch tv instead of working out. You have to decide, do I want to stay where I’m at or do I want to better myself? Ask yourself “how much time have I wasted today when I could have spent time exercising”?

Let’s get fit at BBFitness. Let’s make the choice to get up and get moving.