Why crunches won't give you the abs you want...
Exercises like crunches — no matter how often you do them
— will never give you the abs you want. To get a flat stomach,
you'll need to do several things consistently.
Firstly, you'll need to eat the right foods. I know it's a cliché,
but abs are made in the kitchen and not the gym. Hundreds of crunches
won't help if your abs are hidden under a layer of fat.
Most of the meals you eat (at least 8 out of 10) will need to contain
enough calories, adequate
amounts of protein, the right
blend of fats, and carbohydrates with a low
energy density.
To see your abs, you will also need to exercise most days. Two
or three times a week isn't enough. The intelligent
use of supplements will also help you lose fat faster, though
very few deliver the dramatic results they promise.
Remember, you will need to do these things consistently —
not just when you can be bothered. Getting a decent set of abs in
a few weeks, or even a few months, is the exception rather than
the rule.
For men, your abs will become visible at a body fat percentage
of around 7-9%. Unless they're competing in a fitness or bodybuilding
competition, women don't usually want to see their abs. Most are
happy with a flat stomach, or that little "line" running
down the center of the stomach (which shows at a body fat percentage
of 15-20%).
Exercises like crunches are only a small part of what it takes
to get a decent set of abs. Research shows that you'll lose fat
faster with a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise, rather
than aerobic exercise alone [1].
If you're looking for an effective workout routine that includes
both resistance and aerobic exercise, the program
described elsewhere on this site works well for almost everyone
who tries it.
References
1. Park, S.K., Park, J.H., Kwon, Y.C., Kim, H.S., Yoon, M.S., &
Park, H.T. (2003). The effect of combined aerobic and resistance
exercise training on abdominal fat in obese middle-aged women. Journal
of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science, 22,
129-135
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