abs, how often?

[spatch]

How often do you guys work abs?
I do one normal day and one light day a week, but I might ditch the light day because I am still a little sore going in to the normal day most of the time. Thanks for any help :thumbsup:

 

[Ubiquitous]

I do them over 4 times a week. At my peak conditioning, I was doing it almost 6 days a week. It's hard to overtrain abs IMO, even though it's possible.. it's still hard to do... although I know guys that rarely do abs but have good development... go figure.:rasp:

 

[spatch]

I do them over 4 times a week. At my peak conditioning, I was doing it almost 6 days a week. It's hard to overtrain abs IMO, even though it's possible.. it's still hard to do... although I know guys that rarely do abs but have good development... go figure.:rasp:

You also have to take into count what your doing for abs. If your doing just bodyweight stuff, then 4x a week is probably not bad. I do resisted decline sit ups, weighted leg raises, and cable crunches mostly. Those things require recovery time.

 

[glenihan]

i never train abs .. i used to but haven't for at least a year or two (although sporadically i would throw in a heavy set of abs .. now i just don't at all)

i think they get enough stimulation from heavy squats and deads

 

[spatch]

i never train abs .. i used to but haven't for at least a year or two (although sporadically i would throw in a heavy set of abs .. now i just don't at all)

i think they get enough stimulation from heavy squats and deads

Lee Priest brought up this topic a few months ago in MD.

He said once you build up your abs enought, you dont need to hit them directly any more.

 

[DieTrying]

Abs can be worked more frequently due to their more slow-twitch composition. But like Glen and Lee Priest have proven, everybody is different and will yield different results.

 

[g4ud1n]

I never do them either. Personally, I think it's a waste of time, especially if you do squats and deadlifts. Also, since having visible abs has little to do with the development of the muscle.

 

[Beowulf]

Also, since having visible abs has little to do with the development of the muscle.

True, but there is also the matter of what is showing. Sick ab development is invisible beneath layers of fat. But I've seen people who are shredded who show very little abs. I'm trying to build the muscles in my abs right now, so I'm doing heavy sets for 8-10 reps.


That being said, I hate training abs.

 

[glenihan]

Also, since having visible abs has little to do with the development of the muscle.

that's definitely not a true statement .. many powerlifters have high BF% but they're abs are so well developed they still show through

the better developed your abs are the more visible they'll be at any given BF%

 

[DmitryWI]

i never train abs ..
i think they get enough stimulation from heavy squats and deads

Exactly what I do. Or don't do for that matter

 

[bioman]

I was under that impression as well..until my pelvis got all tweaked. My lower back out-powered my lower abs and really put the hurt on me.

Development-wise, I was fine..I've always had decent abs and squats/deads made them thicker but there was a strength differential.

I totally hate ab work..especially crunches. Leg raises, wood chops and windmills are all ok, but floor work sucks lol.

 

[Nullifidian]

that's definitely not a true statement .. many powerlifters have high BF% but they're abs are so well developed they still show through

the better developed your abs are the more visible they'll be at any given BF%

That's me. Well, I'm not really a powerlifter, but I have visible abs even when my bodyfat is as high as 18%.

I haven't worked abs in years.

 

[QUICKRYDE]

Well, I have some damn good abs but I have reached the stage that I don't feel the pain any longer from working the abs. I feel like I'm just going through the motion. I hit my abs from all possible directions and section of the abs.

I used to hit my abs three times a week and now I hit them once a week.

I did low and high weights and I did low and high reps.

I'm searching for other abs routines to stimulate some pain or even a routine to give me an eight pack.

 

[Nullifidian]

If you don't have an eightpack now, you never will. You are either born with it or you aren't. For example, I have a 4 pack. I will never have a 6 pack no matter what. Mike Mentzer had a 4 pack. Ronnie has a 6 pack. Lee Priest has an 8 pack.

How many ab muscles you have is genetics and cannot be influenced.

 

[QUICKRYDE]

Well, I don't believe that. There are people on this site that never seen their 6 pack before, till they took their fitness serious.

It all depends on how much I put into it.

But

If you can find me an article to support your claims...I will become a true believer.

If you don't have an eightpack now, you never will. You are either born with it or you aren't. For example, I have a 4 pack. I will never have a 6 pack no matter what. Mike Mentzer had a 4 pack. Ronnie has a 6 pack. Lee Priest has an 8 pack.

How many ab muscles you have is genetics and cannot be influenced.

 

[mab904]

As far a specifically training abs, I don't do a heck of a lot. A few sets of exercises here and there through out the week. People at the gym ask how I can have a six-pack without ever really working abs. I attribute my ab development mostly to squats. And with just about every exercise I do for other body parts the abs come into play as well. The best exercise for core strength and development, in my opinion, is the squat.

 

[bpmartyr]

Well, I don't believe that. There are people on this site that never seen their 6 pack before, till they took their fitness serious.

It all depends on how much I put into it.

But

If you can find me an article to support your claims...I will become a true believer.

The rectus Abdominus is one muscle. The 6 pack or 8 pack you see is from the tendons overlaying the muscle. What you see is what you get. No amount of AB work will change that. That is why you see some people with assymetrical abs and crooked lines, genetics man.

Do a google search, you will find the info.

As far as frequency, i'm with the "squats & deads are good enough" crowd. I do some high rep stuff simply to build endurance for my MA training. Helps with keeping the kicks up there during long sparring sessions IMO.

 

[texas]

i work my abs every night, 3 days out of the week i actually work them out and the rest of the nights i do 100 crunches before bed seems to work iv had abs forever

 

[toosmall]

I do one sit up a day........when I get my ass up outta bed!:rofl:

 

[natedogg]

I do one sit up a day........when I get my ass up outta bed!:rofl:

Ain't that the truth! I don't even want to do that sometimes.

 

[Grunt76]

You just roll out nate?

I'm with the "don't train abs too much" crowd. Of course the 4-6-8 pack is nice and all, but there are 2 other layers of abs under it, that do play a very significant role in core strength but can also gain somewhat significant size, making the waist appear larger.

I train my abs for pure strength, not hypertrophy. This once-a-week direct hit is enough to ensure proper core stability (I have an old back hernia) while ensuring minimal size gain. I figure as long as I can feel the ½" deep cracks between the abs, all I have to do is get rid of the flab...

 

[P-Rouds]

work out abs bout once a week sometimes twice depends on mood. decline to highest level for 50, 20 total crossovers, and twists for about 40 sec. at all different levels. then hanging leg raises. then vertical sit-ups 2 sets 20. those are main ones... then every once in a while flutter kicks, laying leg raises, swiss ball crunches. guess it's all on how i feel...

 

[Ripped1]

i train abs 6 days a week. They are always being used and it keeps your back strong. Just take a day off in betwwen the 6 days

 

[CRUNCH]

Amen to the "no ab work" crowd!

I haven't been able to do mine for about 5 years now. This is due to a herniated L4-5 in the anterior motor unit. Spinal flexion squishes all the fluid out. Two days of ab work and I can't walk for a week.

I can see my abs just fine, but my bf is also under 10%.

 

[bioman]

My posture and declining level of lower lumbar flexibility make even basic crunches very difficult. I have decent ab definition and seperation. I train abs opportunistically..perhaps 1-2 times every other week. Cable wood chops are a favorite, leg raises for lower ab stability.

Squats, military presses and deads take care of the rest.

 

[somewhatgifted]

If you don't have an eightpack now, you never will. You are either born with it or you aren't. For example, I have a 4 pack. I will never have a 6 pack no matter what. Mike Mentzer had a 4 pack. Ronnie has a 6 pack. Lee Priest has an 8 pack.

How many ab muscles you have is genetics and cannot be influenced.

Every one has the same amount of ab muscles the rectus abdominus has 8 different muscles with 6 being semi similar in size and the bottom two stretching down to your groin.
http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/RectusAbdominis.html

 

[pecs=sexs]

You also have to take into count what your doing for abs. If your doing just bodyweight stuff, then 4x a week is probably not bad. I do resisted decline sit ups, weighted leg raises, and cable crunches mostly. Those things require recovery time.

The decline weighted abs have been found to cause lower back problems. It shortens your psoas and weakens the multifidius. it is said to cause anterior shear force at the L5/S1. So I do abs 2 times a week. i dont do all for the six pack. i hit a lot for the stabalizing exercises. it seems to be helping my squat and lower body exercises.

 

[BigVrunga]

My favorite ab exercises are hanging leg raises and kneeling cable crunches. I do them 1-2x per week, along with squats and heavy deads.

BV

 

[bioman]

My left psoas is already shortened due to injury. Nothing like having a massuese grind his knuckles into it in an attempt to lengthen it. I't like watching voodoo psychic surgery.

 

[doggzj]

Cable crunches have to be one of my favorite exercises. I definately see growth as compared to not working them at all.

 

[Brent]

I am actually just leaving to work abs. I do them once a week, weighted of course. I am trying to build up my core.

 

[kelsey]

I really think that strong core= strong squats and deads,

not deads and squats = strong abs.....\

i would venture to say that squats and deads would be significantly higher if you worked core.
obviously squats and deads dont work abs directly, but statically.

I am really curious For all the people that say that they work abs by heavy squats and deads,

how heavy is heavy? really

 

[Synthetik]

2x per week, depending on how my recovery is going

 

[chauncy]

2x a week for me. Usually within a superset to add intensity.

 

[kyle0k]

Every one has the same amount of ab muscles the rectus abdominus has 8 different muscles with 6 being semi similar in size and the bottom two stretching down to your groin.
http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/RectusAbdominis.html

ooo ,thats interesting. i never saw evidence of that before.

All i know is that alot of what has to do with abs is genetics. I wokred out my abs for prabably a month,like 3 years ago. i have atleast 13& bodyfat, and my abs are hard as ****,and i ahve a huge deep groove down the middle visible,nand the other lines just a little visible. So just proves how much of it is genetics. I wonder if i got down to a low BF how they woudl look. My middle groove on is seriously like half an inch deep,when i flex.

 

[TravTriggz]

abs controll every movement in your body, Bruce Lee did them everyday he said a man with a weak stomach had no business in the ring. i personally like to do them once or twice a week really hard. tons of V-ups

 

[Jayhawkk]

I followed that link and it looks like it's one muscle with tendons laying across the muscle...Although my guess is based solely of fthat pic and not any science

 

[Doomsday]

It all depends on your training goals. I think 2x a week weighted would be fine for ab development. Unfortunately, I have to train them more often for performance reasons.

 

[Basso]

I really think that strong core= strong squats and deads,

not deads and squats = strong abs.....\

i would venture to say that squats and deads would be significantly higher if you worked core.
obviously squats and deads dont work abs directly, but statically.

I am really curious For all the people that say that they work abs by heavy squats and deads,

how heavy is heavy? really

Amen! If you do heavy squat and deadlift work you need to do heavy ab work, if you don't your asking for trouble! Heavy cable crunches, Wheel work and weighted leg lifts are all excellent choices. If your trying to be pretty than do what you want.

"To be fit as a fiddle, you gotta work your middle"

 

[rake922]

3 x a week

 

[Herris]

I do 2x a week.

 

[CallmeClark]

2x heavy work here.

 

[DazzlinJack]

I train them about twice a week myself but I find that it's just hard to breathe while you're doing the abs. I want to put more time over tension on it but I have to rest to breathe but when I rest, it's not getting the continuous stimulation. Just gotta keep working at it I guess :hammer:

 

[littlemack]

I don't train abs at all. Mine build up really quick for some reason, and they get hit indirectly quite a bit anyway. I often wake up with sore abs in the morning from previous workouts.

 

[gators52]

My ab development has always sucked, but I 've never found the strength to consistenly hit abs in the gym. However now that i'm working on my core for athletics i train them. For those of you that hate doing abs, just tell yourself it's core work not ab work, makes it seem better.

 

[EricLee22]

i usually trian mine after every workout but only do about 60 reps. just so i dont get burned out on them.