Bodybuilders often seek to improve the abdominal muscles, as this particular area will greatly contribute to producing a powerful looking physique. In hopes of achieving the most impressive abdominal shape, bodybuilders regularly pursue body weight exercises such as crunches or sit-ups, and may even increase resistance by adding weight to induce failure within a lower rep range, taxing the abdominal muscles with sufficient intensity to theoretically improve appearance.

But is the opinion that crunches are the most potent abdominal exercise yet another in the plethora of bodybuilding misconceptions? Not quite, but the idea that direct abdominal training is the key to improving stomach appearance is a extremely misleading connotation, as exercise is actually the least important concept in producing lean abdominal definition, since a proper diet is the foundation supporting the success of any correctly structured abdominal muscle enhancing routine.

For abdominal muscles to reach the impressive appearance all bodybuilders seek, muscle size need not necessarily increase by any significant margin, but body fat, which covers abdominal muscles and hides their shape, must decline dramatically to improve definition, which is the very goal that all bodybuilders seeking to enhance the mid-section are striving for. Although in other muscle groups, weight training is normally the method used to improve muscle impressiveness, abdominal definition is more dependant upon body fat percentage than mid-section muscle mass improvements, therefore a properly designed fat loss diet system is the basis for producing a sleek, muscular abdominal section.

What many bodybuilders fail to realize is that performing a large number of abdominal crunches or sit-ups will cause very little if any stomach appearance improvements unless coupled with significant body fat reduction, and fat loss does not depend in any way upon focused abdominal training, but rather is contingent on whether diet is properly constructed for continuous fat loss, and this not only involves the correct calorie intake for a bodybuilder's personal metabolism, but also effective fat, carb and protein ratios so that suitable macronutrients are available to create an ideal fat burning platform for abdominal definition improvement. The number of bodybuilders who constantly perform sit-ups or abdominal crunches without any noticeable mid-section improvement is staggering, and due to lackluster results, they then seek new abdominal muscle building exercises, when in fact, direct stomach training is not linked with mid-section definition, and any bodybuilder in such a situation is in desperate need of a modified, efficient fat reduction diet plan.

In addition to a professionally designed diet, a bodybuilder should integrate aerobic activity five days per week when he or she is attempting to improve definition in any part of the body, as although aerobic exercise does not substantially impact abdominal definition when following a poorly designed diet routine (which is why many mistakenly assume aerobics is wasteful), cardio will significantly enhance the rate of fat reduction when used in conjunction with a potent diet structure. Take note that I have yet to emphasize abdominal crunches or sit-ups, the two most often pursued solutions by bodybuilders wishing to greatly enhance abdominal appearance, as despite their popularity, such exercises actually place last in terms of priority when aiming for abdominal appearance improvements, behind aerobic activity, and the most critical tactic which numerous bodybuilders neglect to address, a intelligently structured fat reduction bodybuilding diet routine which will improve definition in all areas.

The benefits of embracing a fat loss phase do not only relate to abdominal enhancement, but will actually cause the biceps, chest and other muscles to appear larger, specifically because they become more shapely after stripping layers of fat. So, when you are searching to improve abdominal appearance, remember that crunches and sit-ups are far less important than pursuing effective fat loss diet methods, despite the propaganda you've read surrounding crunches. When you decide to focus upon fat reduction, you need not fear muscle loss if you continue to employ proper weight training workout principles, and make certain to never drastically reduce calories, and avoid low carbohydrate diet routines, as both can quickly burn muscle mass, which will harm, as opposed to enhance, overall body appearance. Lastly, I urge you to continue performing sit-ups or abdominal crunches, but know that the layer of fat must disappear before the fruits of your labor become apparent, and this is directly related to how you eat, not abdominal training.