It continues to surprise me that so many people think they have to do 100+ crunches a day in order to get a 6-pack!!! One of the biggest fitness myths is the idea that you can get serious results by over-training or focusing on only one problematic area of the body. Sorry to break it to you…. But unfortunately, you cannot lose weight and get muscle definition by working out a single body part. Let’s remember that strength and definition have nothing to do with each other, however, the goal is to achieve both.

Fat loss varies from person to person. Losing fat on the problematic area around the abdomen for example, requires a total body fat loss. While one person can eat whatever they want while still maintaining muscle definition, another may have to be more disciplined with their food and fitness regimen in order to see results. You also have to factor in that some people genetically have a lower body-fat percentage and therefore muscle definition protrudes a lot quicker. When muscle to fat ratio is higher, the body appears leaner and more muscular.

By engaging in more aerobic based workouts, you will be able to burn more calories a lot faster and therefore see muscle definition a lot quicker. Where your body likes to hold onto its fat has a lot to do with your genetic makeup. You cannot expect to lose fat in only one area and not the others. One area may appear leaner than the other once fat is lost, but often there wasn’t as much fat in that area to begin with.

One thing is certain, spot training will totally make you stronger and help to build muscle, but it won’t make you look any more defined unless your diet/activity level changes and overall body-fat is lost.

If you’re the type of person that struggles with weight, your best bet is to do a full-body workout in order to burn substantial calories, but above all, you must eat well to see results.

Remember, eating well does not mean starving yourself either. Eating well means eating whole foods that are filled with proper nutrients (fuel) for your body to function optimally.

For the average individual, the goal is to be able to upkeep a realistic, body-weight and lifestyle. Once that is achieved, definition will follow. It has nothing to do with how many crunches you do;)