30 Seconds SummaryShould you train your abs?
- Spot reduction, the idea of losing fat in specific areas through targeted exercises, is largely a myth and ineffective for making a particular body area slimmer.
- Training abs like any other muscle, with sufficient intensity and frequency, can cause them to hypertrophy and potentially enlarge the waist, especially with growth in the obliques.
- For individuals with a 'hardgainer' body type, targeted ab exercises can be beneficial to enhance the visibility and definition of abs.
- The rectus abdominis muscle (six-pack) is visible primarily through fat loss not just through muscle training; thus, the phrase 'abs are made in the kitchen' focuses on the importance of diet.
- Under certain conditions like high-intensity exercise followed by cardio and being in a caloric deficit, a slight spot reduction might be possible but is generally impractical for most people.
