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how often do you work those damn abs?
- Thread starter Nobledude
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NJL52
New member
I try to do them everyday but I a.d.d. out of that and do them like 3/4 times a week. And I have heard(don't know how reliable this is) that the abs heal quicker then other muscles so working them daily is okay.
Oh, and btw, abs look good because of bodyfat. Doing situps don't do all that much.
Oh, and btw, abs look good because of bodyfat. Doing situps don't do all that much.
NJL52
New member
Nobledude said:
Not as much as losing fat. Not anywhere near as much as losing fat. If a person's goal is to have a 6 pack I would suggest a very strict diet before I suggested doing situps.
And mainly I said that because 99% of the people on Earth listen to the commercials that say "my ab machine will give you a 6 pack in 5 days guaranteed" and belive it.
blut wump
New member
Everyone has a six-pack, you need to diet to see it. If you want a larger six pack then you grow the muscles.
I'd strongly recommend decline situps in preference to flat ones and add weight when you can. Make an effort to ensure that your abs are doing the work rather than the hips.
I'd strongly recommend decline situps in preference to flat ones and add weight when you can. Make an effort to ensure that your abs are doing the work rather than the hips.
ricanx99
New member
blut wump said:
Blut pretty much hit it on the money. If your BF is low enough, you will have definition in your abdominals. And in order to get there, again you must diet properly. Gotta find a diet thats right for you body type and kick up the cardio to cut that stubborn fat off!
hondas2k666
New member
i could only do my abs once a week. i do 5 sets of 20 decline sit-ups. first 2 sets with a 25 pound plate, next 2 sets with 35 pound, and last set with 45. my abs are sore and it hurts when i cough or sneeze. but they stay sore for about 5-6 days.
nodiggitydave
New member
What weight do you do on the decline situps then?
nodiggitydave
New member
Lol can't find your journal mate, got a link?
I don't know your programme but are those two times on your training days?
I don't know your programme but are those two times on your training days?
Nobledude said:
Same here. And just like any other muscle ... 3 x 12 with weight ... one exercise for uppers and one for lowers. Right after legs.
Example:
Hanging leg raises
Decline sit ups
Diet is the key to appearance.
glennds
New member
i do them once a week, and not that hard. some of us just got good genetics to have nice abs...like a thic head of hair (which i dont have!).
you gotta have low body fat or you are spinning your wheels doing endless tedious ab exercises. i agree with rnch, you dont need abs for a great physiques. for a man anhhow, big back, legs, chest arms more impressive.
you gotta have low body fat or you are spinning your wheels doing endless tedious ab exercises. i agree with rnch, you dont need abs for a great physiques. for a man anhhow, big back, legs, chest arms more impressive.
al420
New member
rnch said:
Regardless of how impressive abs may or may not be, a strong core is essential to lifting any real weight. Overhead, on your back, or off the floor. Heavy weight brings out core imbalances very quickly IMO.
I like weighted decline work, and standing DB oblique stuff.... I also do some Kettlebell work like Turkish Getups...they seem to call on the core quite a bit.
miamiwithstyle12
New member
What bf % is necessary to have six pack abs?
ghettostudmuffin
New member
I don't hit them directly. Heavy squats and deads already do a number on them.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
I would train abs probably 3x a week before a competition, hypothetically speaking.
I work a very physical job and combined with basic lifting don't feel the need to do any.
Those that do alot of manual labor in their daily tasks may or may not agree with my view, but my abs are functionally pretty damn strong from this work and the heavy lifting only accentuates it.
If I didn't work such a physically demanding job (shoveling, picking heavy things up and/or carrying them too, pick and sledge swinging) then I would do them regularly.
I work a very physical job and combined with basic lifting don't feel the need to do any.
Those that do alot of manual labor in their daily tasks may or may not agree with my view, but my abs are functionally pretty damn strong from this work and the heavy lifting only accentuates it.
If I didn't work such a physically demanding job (shoveling, picking heavy things up and/or carrying them too, pick and sledge swinging) then I would do them regularly.
needtogetaas
New member
in the army I did them ed..now not so much....... 
sardonicone
New member
I train them one time a week, using weighted excersizes. No need for me to screw my lower back up simply because I was too lazy to work my abdominals.
nodiggitydave
New member
i do 3 times a week after my 3x5.
What i do is get on a decline bench, get my buddy to throw a medcine ball at me when i get back up, go down with it, back up, throw it to him, and repeat. works great, but its a shame it's high reps and not more tasking (i.e 10 reps)
What i do is get on a decline bench, get my buddy to throw a medcine ball at me when i get back up, go down with it, back up, throw it to him, and repeat. works great, but its a shame it's high reps and not more tasking (i.e 10 reps)
Acela
New member
Nobledude said:
twice a week wasn't an option, that's probably what I average. I schedule it for 3 times a week, but lately I am noticing my body telling me to skip it sometimes. For example, today i was supposed to do them but i'm still sore from saturday. did 1 set of about 25 hanging leg raises...very slow and deliberate form. Still hurting today so i said forget it.
Faizakafez
New member
Narkissos.. How often should i train my abs??
By Corey Springer
aka Narkissos
I get this question where-ever i turn: Abs being the showcase muscle most representative of: a highly conditioned state; and general sexiness...
This being said, the general public, as influenced by media and brainwashed by the 'no pain no gain' dogma, believes that you must annihilate them to get results.
Furthermore, a lot of 'exercise gurus' quoting a number of dubious sources claim that, because the size and composition of the muscle fibers which make up the abdominal wall, the best route to getting the results you want is to annhilate themn daily.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Furthermore... It is simply illogical.
For the record...I don't train abs directly.
Unless there's a definate core weakness (as is a common manifestation in middle-aged sedentary individuals).. or you're training for a sport-specific purpose.. i don't think there's a reason to train 'em directly.
Why?
¤ABs are constantly firing statically to maintain postural integrity. So logically, if you strive to maintain good posture and exercise form... your abs will be working against resistance while lifting. This means that they will get overloaded... and they'll grow.
What?
You say indirect stimulation isn't enough?
I say... then you obviously haven't been training very long.
Look at athletes who train the 'Big three' lifts exclusively: Bench; squats; Deadlifts.
They're thick from head-to-toe.
Anyway.
With relation to the core question: "how regularly should you train abs?"
My answer would be in the form of another question: "how regularly should you, or do you, train other bodyparts?"
Remember the body is a sum of parts working in synergy.
Energy reserves are taxed systemically.
Thus while abs may recover relatively quickly as compared to other bodyparts, this is no reason to train them more regularly than other bodyparts.
Why flirt with the risk of dipping into the recuperative reserves to the point where it curtails recovery for other bodyparts?
With regard to the core question again: ""how regularly should you train abs?"
I say optimally twice per week... no more than that.
This is however but a generic template.
Recuperative ability differs from individual to individual... Thus in the formulation of a plan of attack, ones individual recuperative ability should be factored in.
Some people can train everything twice per week..training 6 days in a row, while still making progress.
Some people can't train anything more than once per week... and may find that training more frequently that every other day quickly leads to over-training.
Ok...
But what's this mean for the beginner.. you know, the guy or gal who has no idea who their body will respond to changes in exercise frequency?
Well basically... start at the middle of the spectrum.
Start with training abs twice per week.
If you continue to make progress... stick with it.
If overall your progress stagnates... and this state is compounded with feelings of overall fatigue; irritability, etc. then cut back. These signs are indicative of over-training.
Good luck
Corey Springer
Owner of
Apollo Fitness Barbados Inc.
By Corey Springer
aka Narkissos
I get this question where-ever i turn: Abs being the showcase muscle most representative of: a highly conditioned state; and general sexiness...
This being said, the general public, as influenced by media and brainwashed by the 'no pain no gain' dogma, believes that you must annihilate them to get results.
Furthermore, a lot of 'exercise gurus' quoting a number of dubious sources claim that, because the size and composition of the muscle fibers which make up the abdominal wall, the best route to getting the results you want is to annhilate themn daily.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Furthermore... It is simply illogical.
For the record...I don't train abs directly.
Unless there's a definate core weakness (as is a common manifestation in middle-aged sedentary individuals).. or you're training for a sport-specific purpose.. i don't think there's a reason to train 'em directly.
Why?
¤ABs are constantly firing statically to maintain postural integrity. So logically, if you strive to maintain good posture and exercise form... your abs will be working against resistance while lifting. This means that they will get overloaded... and they'll grow.
What?
You say indirect stimulation isn't enough?
I say... then you obviously haven't been training very long.
Look at athletes who train the 'Big three' lifts exclusively: Bench; squats; Deadlifts.
They're thick from head-to-toe.
Anyway.
With relation to the core question: "how regularly should you train abs?"
My answer would be in the form of another question: "how regularly should you, or do you, train other bodyparts?"
Remember the body is a sum of parts working in synergy.
Energy reserves are taxed systemically.
Thus while abs may recover relatively quickly as compared to other bodyparts, this is no reason to train them more regularly than other bodyparts.
Why flirt with the risk of dipping into the recuperative reserves to the point where it curtails recovery for other bodyparts?
With regard to the core question again: ""how regularly should you train abs?"
I say optimally twice per week... no more than that.
This is however but a generic template.
Recuperative ability differs from individual to individual... Thus in the formulation of a plan of attack, ones individual recuperative ability should be factored in.
Some people can train everything twice per week..training 6 days in a row, while still making progress.
Some people can't train anything more than once per week... and may find that training more frequently that every other day quickly leads to over-training.
Ok...
But what's this mean for the beginner.. you know, the guy or gal who has no idea who their body will respond to changes in exercise frequency?
Well basically... start at the middle of the spectrum.
Start with training abs twice per week.
If you continue to make progress... stick with it.
If overall your progress stagnates... and this state is compounded with feelings of overall fatigue; irritability, etc. then cut back. These signs are indicative of over-training.
Good luck
Corey Springer
Owner of
Apollo Fitness Barbados Inc.
MadMetal
New member
I do 700 sit ups every other day and work with weights with my obliques. Many people tell me 700 is too much and I can get results by working with weights. The main key for good abs, which I found out first hand recently, is to maintain somewhat less body fat. I had to lose 15 pounds over the summer with extreme/intense cardio and after losing the weight, I got the abs I wanted. I always had the muscles, but it was hiding under that belly fat. The hardest part is lacking of the fat to keep the abs visible.
kx250rider
New member
I agree. I try to keep below 5% bf, and have a great 6-pack with veins showing clearly. But if I don't work the abs HARD, my 6-pack bulges out and wouldn't be flat. It takes tight abs to hold the belly flat, despite how little body fat you have. Maybe that has something to do with my age (43), but I don't remember ever having a completely flat stomach without work, even at 15.
Charles
kx250rider
New member
I don't take it as rude... No problem. I was shocked myself when I was tested with a number that low for the first time. I've had all 3 types of tests; underwater, mathematical by measurement & weight, and the newest one that I don't know exactly how it works but they put electrodes on feet & hands, and combine that with weight, bone density (dexa scan) results, and size. In the most recent tests, I'm at 4.3 on one test, and 5.3. I set my goal at below 5, I'll keep in action and not get lazy. There are problems too, with having the number that low. #1 for most of us on this forum, is that it's probably near impossible to build bulk with that kind of body fat level. But for me, that's OK. I'm into motocross, and if I get over 190 or 200 lbs, I start getting clumsy on the bike. The other problem is that if I get sick, I could be more subject to malnutrition with no fat reserve. Knowing that, I'd take precautions if I do get sick, to get medical help earlier with nutrition.
I should also mention that I'm in a competition with myself to see how low I can get it, so this thread happened to come up at a time when I can brag. It's probably not going to be below 5% anymore by Christmas...
Charles
Tblock1
New member
When I was on the wrestling team I was 6.7%, one of my friend's was 4.8%. Now granted we were skinny as shit ( I was 5'9 135, don't remember what he was) There was also another kid that was like 85 pounds, don't remember his height, but anyway the test said he was under 3% basically they had to add a percentage point or 2 to get a readout at 3%. He was not a health kid either, he looked like he was out of a concentration camp.
Point being: In a person with a good amount of muscle mass, anything below 8 is very hard to get, 5% is ridiculous. But if you are low on muscle and bone mass, it's not hard to get pretty damn low bodyfat percentages.
kx250rider
New member
That's the case with me. I'm not that big (avatar pic is within the past 3 months), but my bone structure and bone density is good. I've been as skinny as 129 lbs at 6', and actually had a higher body fat then, than I have had lately. There are other factors involved too, which are mecically-related.
Charles
I do mine 4 times a week. The reason being if you want to squat big weights you need a strong core. If you have a weak link in the chain it will break.
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jparker
New member
3x a week for me but for the same reason.
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