5 mistakes you are making while doing ab exercises

Are you working out regularly to get toned abs or build six-pack abs but see no results?

Even though it can take a while for results to reflect, sometimes the reason for lack of results could be due to some mistakes in your workout routine.

Here are some common mistakes you could be making:

1. You’re not engaging your core properly
Along with what exercises you do, your technique plays an important role in the effectiveness of your ab routine. Make sure you engage your core consciously while doing the exercises and feel the impact on your abs.

Make sure you do exercises that engage both your rectus abdominis as well as your transverse abdominis, which is located in the deep abdomen.

2. You’re not changing your exercises
It is important to keep challenging your body with different kinds of exercising. Repeating only the ones you have already mastered can slow down your process. If you workout with a trainer, ask them to keep experimenting with your abs routine.

3. You’re not giving rest to your abs
Excess of everything is bad, and this golden mantra also applies to your workout routine. Your muscles need rest to perform, grow and rebuild. Instead of doing abs every day, do it once a week or if you need to focus, do it every alternate day. Rest is essential to promote blood flow, decrease inflammation, increase muscle growth, prevent burnout and decrease your risk of injury.

4. You could be letting your hip flexors take over
A number of ab exercises involve a significant degree of hip flexion. It’s common for the hip flexors to absorb some of that pressure during the workout. However, you have to consciously avoid or reduce this as it can lead to imbalance between the hip flexors and ab strength, which can cause back pain later on.

5. You are completing reps too fast
Another abs workout mistake you need to avoid is completing your reps too fast. While doing abs, especially at a beginners level, less is more. Which means it is important to do each rep properly rather than rushing through your routine and doing many, half-baked reps. If you rush through your routine, you are likely to hold your breath, which won’t yield the best results.