MTV's Jersey Shore is hot right now. Between Snooki's arrest and The Situation's run on Dancing With the Stars, the cast has been all over the place. One of the praises often hurled at the Jersey kids goes to Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's abs. Since he can't seem to keep his shirt on, we see them fairly often, but there's at least one woman who isn't interested.
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Jackie Warner, star of Bravo's new hit show Thintervention, told Us Weekly that she is not impressed with The Situation's abs. She says that it's simply a matter of preference, but his abs aren't for her. She prefers those of Twilight star Kellan Lutz, saying he has the best abs in Hollywood. Warner's new book This is Why You're Fat and How to Get Thin Forever hit the New York Times Best Seller list right off the shelves and her unorthodox methods have helped hundreds of people lose weight. Not to mention, she's got a killer body herself. So what's her proposal for better abs? In her words, "Crunches are a waste of time."
There is a better way to go about getting your six pack abs that doesn't directly involve crunches. Jackie recommends doing pushups, rows with weights, and squats with weights to work large muscle groups, suggesting that this is the best way to go about getting abs. It sounds odd, especially when you consider that none of those muscle groups are the abdominals. This is definitely not the universally agreed upon method of achieving a Hollywood six-pack, but either way, she's right.
First, working large muscle groups like the back, chest, and legs burns more calories than you could ever burn working just your abs. Developing these muscles involves compound, multi-joint exercise that demand a lot more from your body, hence contributing to a greater overall calorie burn. The idea of a higher calorie deficit is normally not emphasized enough in the general plan to get a six-pack. It would be smarter to pursue revealing a six-pack by burning off the fat surrounding the muscles than simply building up those muscles. In reality, we all have a six-pack underneath the rolls. Therefore, the only way they will show is to diminish the fat. The best way to do this is to lift heavy weights in the gym and work larger muscle groups. Crunches will simply not do. You've got to burn more calories than you consume, and harder exercises can help.
Second, when you are working these large muscle groups, in order to perform them correctly you are going to need to engage your abs and core to stabilize the rest of your body through the entire range of motion. For instance, during a squat, your lumbo-pelvic hip complex (core) is going to have to stabilize you while you lean back or you would fall down. Everything from your hips to your obliques and yes, even your abs are working to keep you balanced. Simply make sure your abs are tight during these exercise and you will be working them indirectly the whole time.
Sometimes the obvious approach isn't the right one. Looking outside the box, or in this case - the six pack - can be the best option. You'll be glad you did when your pants fit better and you want to show off your abs too. Just do us a favor and try to keep your shirt on.
