You’ve heard:Crunches (and other abs exercises) are best for melting fat around your middle.
The truth: “You may add tone and strength to your middle by doing crunches and other abs exercises, but you won't melt off fat,” Neporent says. You can't spot reduce the abs or any other part of your body. The only way to lose belly fat is by reducing overall body fat—some will come off your trouble zones, but how you lose fat is genetically determined, Neporent says.
Bottom line: To shed belly fat and burn more calories during your workout, shift your focus from crunches to total-body moves that work multiple muscle groups at once (including your abs). And be sure to supplement your hard work at the gym with a healthy diet.
