1. It’s All in the Crunches…

Want a better stomach? Chances are, you’ve been told to start doing crunches. There are a whole range of them available, and they promise to give you toned abs – and they probably will, to be fair. But if your abs are hidden by a layer of fat, you won’t see them, even with the hottest, most toned abs in the world. Cardio has to come first, regardless of how tiring and boring that is. Crunches come later. This was one of the top abs lies – almost everyone had believed it!

2. Some Exercises Target the Tummy…

It’s true that crunches and other specific toning exercises might primarily work one part of the body, but when it comes to cardio, you can’t choose to target one area. It would be totally amazing to be able to just lose a pound from your stomach, or an inch off your thighs, but you’ll need to work everywhere. Which is a good thing, really – we’d all end up massively out of proportion!

3. The Starvation Boost Works…

Okay, so in theory we all know that starving ourselves is a bad idea, but a lot of people still try it to “boost” their diet. Except it’s probably doing the opposite. Going on a severe diet means your body will waste muscle, your body will store fat, and your metabolism will slow down. It’s much, much more effective to eat small, regular and healthy meals on a regular basis.

4. Reps Are Priority…

It can be really tempting to get hung up on how many reps of a certain exercise you can do, when really all your focus should be on that exercise itself. Make sure that you are taking your time and doing the exercise perfectly, and you’ll see much more progress than if you did double the number but they aren’t quite right.

5. It’s All in the Calories…

Obviously, what you eat and how much you exercise have a big impact on your body, but they aren’t the only influences. Being stressed can have a big effect on where you store fat, so it’s important that you handle your stress. Try taking up yoga or meditation, and releasing stress on a regular basis. Both your body and your mind will thank you.

6. Weights Are for Guys…

If Jodie Marsh scared you away from the weights, you aren’t alone. Not many people aim for that extreme muscular look! It’s actually really difficult to achieve, though. Lifting light weights won’t bulk you up, but it will help to sculpt your body, and burn fat. It’s well worth trying it.

7. Fad Diets Are the Answer…

In theory, everyone knows that fad diet = ab lies. But in real life, who didn’t try the baby food diet, or get tempted by Beyonce’s crazy juice diet? It’s beyond easy to get sucked into believing a fad diet could be the answer, but realistically, they are just a waste of money. Focus on maintaining a healthy diet instead.

I’m definitely feeling like my eyes have been opened a little – of course, most of knew at least one of these abs lies, but all together, they really do show how valuable a good diet and exercise regime are! Do you have any ab toning tips? I’d love to hear them!