Crunches for the CURVE !

1,2,3,4,10,15,25,45,55,75,105,155,200…. These are nothing but the insane number of crunches one believes one should do to get the perfect curve or the love handles as we call it today.

Such a pity, after so much awareness on fitness, so many articles on overall health, we still have our own notions and fake beliefs when it comes to exercising. We still don’t talk about overall reduction, overall toning, and overall fitness and are so area specific.

Just the other day I bumped into my neighbour and obviously as always she also ended up asking me this one “most popular and frequently asked” question on my list. What should I do to reduce my “stomach”? It sounds horrible to hear the word stomach but anyways I have come across this one so many times that I don’t even have to think before answering. She asked me if by doing crunches everyday at home would help her get “the curve”. When I asked her about her routine workouts I found out there weren’t any and her existing diet plan was like a treat in every meal. So basically she did not have the right to complain in the first place. Even if she does crunches all day it was not going to help. Before answering her query there was one question I wanted to ask her as to what she intended doing by just reducing the specified area. What about the other bulging areas she had?

There is NOTHING like spot reduction. You cannot point out at one area of your choice and demand on loosing fat from there only. That’s ridiculous. I mean come on what about the other areas where your fat is equally distributed. This is where the slimming centres step in and help you achieve your special unfit temporary spot reduction.

The point I am trying to make here is you don’t only work on the area you think requires the most attention and would want to reduce. You have to make a conscious effort in working out a combined exercise program targeting the entire body. I am not saying it is impossible to loose on or reduce the “stomach”. No, that’s not true. But doing infinite number of crunches for it is also not the solution. Please don’t get carried away and get impressed by celebrity workout articles on how they keep their abs maintained and start imitating their program. That’s not how it should be.

I get a lot of clients coming to me and asking me to concentrate only on their abs and hips as they want it to look like a certain celebrity’s body and unfortunately I have to disappoint them by my harsh truth and instead ask them to concentrate on themselves and their body.

There is a very simple trick we need to master here. And that is to start treating your body as a whole. Instead of focusing only on the abs try focusing on the entire body. Focus on achieving that one healthy diet plan you have only been thinking about all this while, try achieving the regular gym sessions you have only been dreaming about all this while. Someone once told me that abs are not only made in the gym but also in the kitchen. Once you get that under your control, your dream abs will follow. Just by becoming your own instructor and doing vague things at home is not going to take you anywhere.

You have to realise the importance of a healthy diet plan and a combined cardio vascular and strength training program. You are indirectly working on your desired area even when you’re not actually working on it. That’s the trick, the sooner to master it the faster you will be rewarded with the love handles you have always desired and also that pair of jeans you have always wanted to fit into.