You Can Skip the Crunches and Still Lose Stomach Fat

Today, Scott Colby, M.E. CPT, an internationally known fitness professional, public speaker, and author of "Abs Uncrunched." continues to share with us information on how to lose stomach fat. He is also the owner of AbsUncrunched.com, TheAbsExpert.com and creator of the online teleseminar series, My Ultimate Body Makeover and Amazing Abs Formula. He has helped thousands of people around the world get fit, lose stomach fat and exercise more effectively. In this interview he talks with me about losing stomach fat without doing the dreaded crunches.

Lisa: Scott, what's a common misconception about losing stomach fat and getting a six pack of abs?

Scott: The most common misconception that most people mistakenly believe is that they can do a few crunches everyday and that's it. Unfortunately, that's just not true. In order to really lose stomach fat you need to put on lean muscle tissue through strengthening exercises, do some high intensity interval training and watch your diet. Doing crunches alone is not going to get you a flat stomach.

Lisa: So, it's a combination of diet, exercise and building muscle? What are some exercises we can do that are more effective for losing stomach fat?

Scott: One of my favorite exercises, that I recommend as a far superior abdominal exercise, is the push-up.

Lisa: Why do you recommend push ups?

Scott: There are many reasons why. The most important one is consistency. When you get into a proper push-up position with your back straight your abs have to work the entire time to support your body. When you lower your body in a push-up and when you lift it, at no point in time are your abdominal muscles relaxing. This is very different from when you are doing a crunch. During a crunch, your abdominals are relaxed, during a great deal of the exercise. It is not until you raise your body up, that the abdominals are engaged. As a result your stomach muscles are relaxed, making it harder to lose stomach fat.

Lisa: Are their other reasons for using push ups instead of crunches for losing stubborn stomach fat?