Miracle abs: too good to be true? - Special Report

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Lisa A. Mason

Also remember the following tips:

* Your muscles need time to rest and rebuild. Wait 48 hours between workouts.

* Don't hold your breath while exercising.

* Don't lock your hands behind your head or pull it forward. Instead, place your hands beside your ears or cross your arms over your chest.

* Don't use momentum to carry you through reps.

* Focus on quality, not quantity. One-hundred reps are useless if done incorrectly.

* Ab exercises can't reduce "love handles." The only way to rid yourself of excess fat is by following an appropriate diet and increasing aerobic exercise.

REFERENCES

Schoenfeld, Brad. Sculpting Her Body Perfect. Human Kinetics, 2002.

www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/em s.html

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer residing in Fort Hood, Texas, with her husband and two small children. She has written on parenting, health and fitness, military, writing, beauty and lifestyles.