Myth: Working Your Abs Will Burn Your Ab Fat

This is called "Spot Reducing". It's not true for your abs, nor any other body part. Extensive ab workouts will make your stomach firmer and stronger, but will have no effect on your ab fat specifically. When you burn fat through exercise your body pulls it from all over your body, not just the specific area you're working. You'll usually lose the most from the areas that have the most to give. Targeting exercises to one body part won't burn the fat in that area. Only by consuming less calories than you burn will you reduce your body fat percentage and that reduction will be throughout your entire body.

Myth: You Should Work Your Abs Everyday.

All muscles need time to recover between workouts, just like your abs. Physiologically, your abdominal muscles are just like any other muscles you work in the gym. If you are training your abs with proper intensity and overload you should allow at least a day in between workouts for recovery. The best ab workout results can be achieved by working them 3 days per week.

Myth: If 10 Reps are Good, 100 Reps Must Be A Lot Better

When it comes to ab work, quality beats quantity every time. The person doing 250 crunches at a time is probably rocking, jerking, and going rapid fire....or using some other type of bad form. Your top priority should be doing the best ab workout routines possible using proper technique. If you're using proper technique, chosing the correct exercises with appropriate intensity, you don't need to be doing anymore than 20-30 reps (depending on the exercise). In this case, less is more.

Myth: I Can Get A Six Pack if I Just Do Enough Ab Work

It does take a tremendous amount of ab development to reach six pack status. On the other hand, the biggest key to a six pack is a low body fat percentage. Men must get down to the 10% range (Women 15%) for the abdominal muscles to show. Getting that lean is the biggest obstacle for most people. You could have very well developed abs, but they won't be visible with a layer of fat over them. If you want a six pack you have to work your abs hard with the best ab workout possible and reduce your overall body fat.