Buckle up to achieve the abs you've always wanted

A good fitness regimen will include both strength training and cardiovascular exercise, especially if you want to build muscle mass and strength while burning off body fat. I feel that many dieters and fitness buffs may be under the misconception that they can achieve rock-hard abs (the six-pack) just by doing crunches, sit-ups and other abdominal exercises; this is not true. You need to burn off the layer of fat on top of the muscles by running, cycling, swimming or a similar type of workout that gets your heart pumping. Of course, there are things you could do on the side as well.

For instance, reports indicate that many male and female dieters were able to reach their fitness goals faster by using products such as the FlexBelt. This is an ab-toning belt that targets hard-to-reach muscles such as the lower abs and the obliques, with the Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technology. It has apparently been approved by the FDA to be sold directly to consumers, even though it is considered a high-tech fitness product. While you shouldn't depend on it exclusively to meet your exercise needs, it could certainly be a viable complementary option.