Nowadays, having a flat stomach with toned abs is one of the ultimate goals among people. The vision of having perfect abs can be quite motivating – pushing us to join a gym and exercising regularly. However, in our excitement, we may make certain ab workout mistakes, which when not corrected can keep us from our goal.

You will be surprised to know how many people make these mistakes. These could be insignificant in theory but can surely hinder your progress towards developing abs. Instead of giving up your goal if you have been unsuccessful so far, see if you are making any of the following mistakes during your workout routine:

Only Targeting Belly Fat

You must think that if it is ab muscles you want to develop, why not invest your time in targeting belly fat. This targeted training will not address the fat in other parts of your body. You must remember that you require 10% or less body fat to make your abs pronounced. To burn fat, try including cardio in your workout sessions. You can find tutorials for different exercises, including cardio, easily on the internet. However, the recommended approach is to consult your trainer.

Performing Fast Repetitions

You may feel proud of yourself if you can perform fast repetitions when working out. Despite that good feeling, this method will not help you achieve your actual goal. If you are completing one repetition in less than two seconds, you are doing it too fast. Fast reps can likely make you hold your breath, which does not help in developing abs. Take your time on each repetition and contract the muscles.

Doing Planks Wrongly

It takes effort to do a plank. Imagine if all that effort goes to waste because you were doing it the wrong way. Some people do not keep their back straight – bending the lower back with the hips pointed upwards. Next time when you perform a plank, keep your spine straight, and aligned with the hips.

Ignoring the Back Muscles

If you are trying to flatten your stomach, pay attention to your back muscles as well. Neglecting the back muscles during abs training can create an imbalance in the muscular system supporting the spine. Go for exercises that put your core into an overdrive in order to address the back muscles too. Such exercises include lifts and squats.

Training Ab Muscles Daily

Once again, this theoretically seems illogical. It is easy to think that you need to train the ab muscles daily in order to get your stomach in shape. Instead, this will overstress the muscles, and you will be forced to take a break from your workout routine. In turn, you will slow down in your progress. The right way to workout is to train a different set of muscles on each day of the week. This method will prevent too much stress on a particular muscle group – allowing you to train effectively.

Many other mistakes, even if they seem insignificant, counteract your efforts for developing abs. These include performing planks for too long, placing the hands behind the head while performing sit-ups or crunches, raising the legs without support, exercising on the wrong surfaces, etc.  Also, not taking care of the diet is another major mistake made by many people. No matter what your fitness goal is, if you aren’t eating a healthy diet, you won’t be able to accomplish this. The right kind of diet can have a drastic impact on your overall health and fitness.

If you have been trying to build your ab muscles for a while now but without results, it is time to think if you have been doing something wrong during your exercise sessions. It is recommended that you start working out under the supervision of a qualified trainer. This way, you will not only achieve the desired results faster but enjoy your time working out as well. However, do remember to keep a positive and patient attitude – understanding that your body needs time to show the results you want.