Abs

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NerdyFlex
NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
How many days a week should abs be trained?
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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    If you want developed muscles, 3 to 6x a week is a reasonable goal.
  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
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    I used to work my abs about 4x a week. It’s just tough to do that on top of the other muscle groups and a busy schedule
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    NerdyFlex wrote: »
    I used to work my abs about 4x a week. It’s just tough to do that on top of the other muscle groups and a busy schedule

    What is your ab routine? It should be under 10 mins. Anything more is probably excessive.
  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
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    It’s about a 20 minute routine
  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
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    It’s 4 sets of 4 different abs workouts
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    NerdyFlex wrote: »
    It’s about a 20 minute routine

    Probably a bit much.

    Jeff Cavelier (AthleanX on YouTube) has some good routines that are under 7 mins and hit each muscle group (upper, lower, obliques, and tranverse abdominis).
  • From9five
    From9five Posts: 60 Member
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    I did twice a week. Day one was 3 tri-sets working abs and obliques. Then day 2 was just a few sets of hanging leg raises after my main workout.
  • Okiludy
    Okiludy Posts: 558 Member
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    If you focus on heavy compound lifts you likely just need to drop body fat. I guess to make them pop twice a week like every other body part would work. I think there is a abs thread but don’t have the link. Anyone got it?
  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
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    I have abs already, I meant to just kinda keep them maintained. I phrased the question poorly, my bad guys. Thanks for the advice though!!
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    NerdyFlex wrote: »
    I have abs already, I meant to just kinda keep them maintained. I phrased the question poorly, my bad guys. Thanks for the advice though!!

    In that case, just keep your BF% about where it is and keep doing what you are doing workout wise. Once you have them it's easy to keep them.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I just do them twice a week and combined with compound lifts, I find it's enough. I don't go crazy on abs workout, when I lean out, they pop out more of course, so that tells me that I've done well.
  • JAYxMSxPES
    JAYxMSxPES Posts: 193 Member
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    I lift three days a week and I do one Ab exercise each day for no more than 3 sets, typically 1 to 2.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited January 2018
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    As others have already said, it's totally unnecessary to do isolated ab exercises if you are doing compound lifts and body weight exercises.

    I developed a visble 6 pack by just doing compound lifting/BW exercises, rowing for cardio and dropping my BF to 10%; the latter being the most important in makibg them visible.

    Never spent any additional time doing a single situp, crunch, hanging leg lift or any other isolated ab exercise or routine.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    Comparatively, compound movements are fairly inferior to engaging and developing the core muscles.

    https://youtu.be/_xdOuqokcm4
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    vOv

    I hit them in some fashion every day. On my lifting days, they get hit indirectly on two days via squats and deads, and directly on bench and overhead day. Dead Bugs and moving planks are part of my general warmup. On off days, my tempo cardio work includes 400 McGill situps.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    3-10 minutes daily of light to moderate isolation work is plenty.

    Any more duration or intensity will probably lead to compromising your movement. since Core is used in everything.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    stanmann571 wrote: »
    3-10 minutes daily of light to moderate isolation work is plenty.

    Any more duration or intensity will probably lead to compromising your movement. since Core is used in everything.

    Plus ab cramps really suck.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    3-10 minutes daily of light to moderate isolation work is plenty.

    Any more duration or intensity will probably lead to compromising your movement. since Core is used in everything.

    Plus ab cramps really suck.

    INDEED!!!

    Can't get out of bed, can't tie your shoes. It's worse than a lower back spasm.

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