5 Interesting Facts About Abs

There are plenty of reasons why most of us desire to have sculpted abdominal muscles. Apart from the fact that they make us look and feel good, well-defined abs also mean a stronger core and back muscles. This translates to better athletic performance, which is beneficial in preventing back pain and injury, as well as maintaining a good posture. 

If abs are also something you wish to attain, it is only important to learn more about them. Here are some facts you need to know about well-defined and visible abdominal muscles.  

1. Everyone has abs.

Whether or not they are visible, everyone has abs. Unfortunately for most people, theirs don’t show through because they are hidden beneath layers of fat. Your habits, diet, and exercise can dictate whether you’ll see them or not. You will need a whole-body approach in losing excess fat to unearth your abs. 

The majority of people have a 6-pack (3 pairs of abdominal muscles), but not everyone is born with it. Some have muscles that are split into 4 pairs, making an 8-pack. There are also cases where there are only 2 pairs, ending up with a 4-pack. Others have 5 pairs or a 10-pack, but this is quite rare. 

2. Women need to work harder to get visible abs.

This is the truth for most women because they have higher body fat percentages than men. Women’s body fat content is about 25% compared to 15% for men. Also, females have more alpha-2 receptors in their fat bulges. These receptors are beneficial for future energy storage, but they hinder fat burning. 

Studies also show that the female hormones (estrogen) make it difficult for many women to burn fat. This leads to more fat being stored around the body. More essential fat in women, however, is needed for proper hormonal function and energy storage in the event of pregnancy. 

3. Doing abdominal exercises is not enough.

While doing crunches, planks, and other abdominal exercises can help tone your abs, it is more important to lose extra fat to reveal your abs. Do take note that your abs will not show through if you have excess layers of fat. Spot reduction does not work, so you need to lose fat from your entire body to get a flat or a toned belly. 

You can burn fat the healthy way by eating a balanced, low-calorie diet and engaging in a consistent workout routine. This should include cardio, strengthening exercises, and weight training. If you want your abs to be visible, it is important to train all major muscle groups.

4. You don’t have to train your abs daily.

Doing abdominal exercises every single day may seem like a good thing, but it can actually exhaust your muscles. It is also easy to go extreme and forget about resting, when you work out your abs 7 days a week. Do take note that your abdominal muscles are just like any other muscles – they need a break too. 

It is also inefficient to work on just a single muscle group. As previously mentioned, you’ll not lose belly fat or get a sculpted abdomen by doing just abs exercises. It is better to engage in other fitness activities that target different muscle groups. 

5. Aesthetic treatments are available to sculpt your abs.

While regular diet and exercise can help you get the body you want, there are cases where they may feel like not working. If this is true for you, you can consider a non-invasive body shaping device like ZField Dual. This uses high-frequency electromagnetic energy to stimulate muscle contractions.

ZField Dual generates a strong inductive field, enforcing around 27,000 muscle contractions in just one treatment. This causes the muscles to adapt to extreme temperatures, which strengthens the muscle fibers and improves muscle conditioning. It can turn flabby areas into toned muscles without intense workouts. 

ZField Dual can tone your abs, buttocks, and other areas without discomfort or longer downtime. Read our previous post to learn more about the treatment and to find out if ZField Dual is right for you. 

It is always up to you how you want to tone your abs and other muscles. If you need help, don’t hesitate to consider ZField Dual. Contact Cutis Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation and body assessment with our aesthetic doctor to find out how non-invasive body shaping treatments can help you.