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Ab work - daily?
carlaringuette
Posts: 158 Member
Does anyone do ab work every day? If not how many times a week do you do?
Do you do it with upper or lower body workouts?
I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction " but I read or heard somewhere that it was okay to work them daily.
I'm not talking about a big routine just putting a few reverse crunches, Russian twists, knee pulls and there are 2 ab machines at the gym. I do 3 sets of 15
So when I don't do a class I do cardio for 15-30 minutes then alternate, one day upper body, the next lower.
Should I include abs each time?
That's the area that needs the most work.
Do you do it with upper or lower body workouts?
I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction " but I read or heard somewhere that it was okay to work them daily.
I'm not talking about a big routine just putting a few reverse crunches, Russian twists, knee pulls and there are 2 ab machines at the gym. I do 3 sets of 15
So when I don't do a class I do cardio for 15-30 minutes then alternate, one day upper body, the next lower.
Should I include abs each time?
That's the area that needs the most work.
2
Replies
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Don't do crunches, they're bad for your back.10
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I no longer do crunches (regular or reverse) or ab machines but I do planks (with varying degrees of difficulty as I gain strength) as well as anti-rotation presses on the cable machine and suit case carries every workout.0
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I no longer do crunches (regular or reverse) or ab machines but I do planks (with varying degrees of difficulty as I gain strength) as well as anti-rotation presses on the cable machine and suit case carries every workout.
That should be fine as often as you like. Planks are great for your core but they don't have the same kind of recovery demands as heavy lifts. And your core evolved to protect your spine at a time when humans were drastically more active than today. I did two 4 hour bike rides this week, you use your core to keep your torso upright on a bike. You'll be fine.
Consider doing renegade rows which are a sort of plank variation, and build very strong ab muscles. My posture has improved since I've been doing them.0 -
Thanks for all the tips I am still a newbie just joined the gym 3 weeks ago will have to Google some of those terms listed above. The exercises I listed were the ones that the trainer gave me when I signed up. Don't want to overdo it but want to push hard enough and my abs are my weakest point. We do the planks in the classes.
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I used to do planks daily and need to start back. I would do a side, front, other side and on my back raise my legs strait up several times. I did this 30 seconds on and rest 30 seconds for 16 minutes. Really helped my back.2
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Yep, sometimes suitcase carries will refer to a unilateral carry depending on the source.0 -
carlaringuette wrote: »That's the area that needs the most work.
Why do you think that?3 -
Doing compound lifts is going to do more for your core overall. Direct Ab work just works the abs...compound lifts utilize your entire core.
I lift 3x per week and do direct ab work at the end of my session...usually hanging leg raises or the ab wheel. Your abs are pretty resilient, so I would guess it would be fine to do ab work everyday, I just don't see it as remotely necessary.3 -
carlaringuette wrote: »Does anyone do ab work every day? If not how many times a week do you do?
Do you do it with upper or lower body workouts?
I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction " but I read or heard somewhere that it was okay to work them daily.
I'm not talking about a big routine just putting a few reverse crunches, Russian twists, knee pulls and there are 2 ab machines at the gym. I do 3 sets of 15
So when I don't do a class I do cardio for 15-30 minutes then alternate, one day upper body, the next lower.
Should I include abs each time?
That's the area that needs the most work.
IF your mid-torso is your motivation to workout at all, within your active hours, variating your core focused exercises will help. When you're home, you may consider doing your go-tos only consider using suspension or resistance bands training at the very least, changing up the pace and intensity plus duration, which you can alternate as you go, to increase gradients of difficulty, mobile friendly.
The mid-torso much like the buttocks are similar, in that you can work them out daily.- I do workout my abs opting for the compounds approach daily because my upper body is shorter than my lower torso. I've no choice but to maintain and/or work towards it being tighter always.
2 -
Packerjohn wrote: »
Yep, sometimes suitcase carries will refer to a unilateral carry depending on the source.
Thanks, I never heard of that name before or about unilateral work. I use dumbbells to do farmers walks, I want to work both sides 0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »
Yep, sometimes suitcase carries will refer to a unilateral carry depending on the source.
Yes - that is how I use that term - carrying on one side. In addition to building grip strength, it also increases core stabilization.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I no longer do crunches (regular or reverse) or ab machines but I do planks (with varying degrees of difficulty as I gain strength) as well as anti-rotation presses on the cable machine and suit case carries every workout.
That should be fine as often as you like. Planks are great for your core but they don't have the same kind of recovery demands as heavy lifts. And your core evolved to protect your spine at a time when humans were drastically more active than today. I did two 4 hour bike rides this week, you use your core to keep your torso upright on a bike. You'll be fine.
Consider doing renegade rows which are a sort of plank variation, and build very strong ab muscles. My posture has improved since I've been doing them.
Squats & deadlifts & pushups are excellent for core too. I lift 2-3 times a week. There's always something that comes up that takes me out of the gym for months at a time. When I start back, I start with regular planks and then once I can plank for a full minute I do a cable row in plank position, and then after that's getting easy I do the renegade rows.
1 -
carlaringuette wrote: »Does anyone do ab work every day? If not how many times a week do you do?
Do you do it with upper or lower body workouts?
I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction " but I read or heard somewhere that it was okay to work them daily.
I'm not talking about a big routine just putting a few reverse crunches, Russian twists, knee pulls and there are 2 ab machines at the gym. I do 3 sets of 15
So when I don't do a class I do cardio for 15-30 minutes then alternate, one day upper body, the next lower.
Should I include abs each time?
That's the area that needs the most work.
I don't do any isolated ab work. You can't spot reduce. Do compound lifts while you are losing weight and this area will be taken care of.
See also:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p13 -
If you feel like you need to work your abs every day you aren't working them hard enough. 3x per week is plenty. Give them a chance to rest, repair.2
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I normally do very little direct ab work (as in, a month or more at a time without doing any), but I recently started a new program that has me doing ab stuff 3x per week. If I'm running short on time though, the ab stuff at the end of the session is the first thing to go out the window because in my experience, heavy compound lifts are plenty for me.0
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As with most things, trust your body. Ab work can generally be done daily, but if you start to feel like you are overdoing it or your abs are constantly sore, take days off in between.
It is true that you cannot spot reduce and working abs alone will not give you a six pack, but strengthening your core is very important to functional strength, and I would make sure to work them separately if you do not feel like they are being worked by your current exercise routines.2 -
Is the time doing so much direct ab work really worth it considering your goals?
Lots of diet, consistency, & being in a kcal deficit is what helps reveal abdominal muscles (gradual fat loss overtime).
I personally have moved away from doing direct abdominal training the fitter I have become because time spent lifting weights & doing cardio were more valuable investments for my goals (not into trying to build muscular abs or supplement heavy compound lifts). Only do a few sets a week of direct abdominal movements to end a workout (TRX atomic crunches, hanging leg raises to face)1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »carlaringuette wrote: »Does anyone do ab work every day? If not how many times a week do you do?
Do you do it with upper or lower body workouts?
I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction " but I read or heard somewhere that it was okay to work them daily.
I'm not talking about a big routine just putting a few reverse crunches, Russian twists, knee pulls and there are 2 ab machines at the gym. I do 3 sets of 15
So when I don't do a class I do cardio for 15-30 minutes then alternate, one day upper body, the next lower.
Should I include abs each time?
That's the area that needs the most work.
I don't do any isolated ab work. You can't spot reduce. Do compound lifts while you are losing weight and this area will be taken care of.
See also:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
^^^^This!
While I can't say that I don't do some isolated ab work periodically, the most work my core gets is through compound lifts. At 55, my "core" has never been stronger. Ever. Why? Because I started doing compound lifts 18 months ago. The ab work I do is minimal compared to what I get from squats, deadlifts, and even pressing. In order to do those lifts properly it requires a dedication to tightening your core to stabilize your spine (it is the primary function of your abs) - which is something your body requires you to do for all sorts of regular daily activities.
Also, IMO abs are never the area that needs the most work. But even if someone thought that it was, the compound lifts deliver the higher quality of work - mimicking the demands the body generally makes of your abs.
2 -
carlaringuette wrote: »Thanks for all the tips I am still a newbie just joined the gym 3 weeks ago will have to Google some of those terms listed above. The exercises I listed were the ones that the trainer gave me when I signed up. Don't want to overdo it but want to push hard enough and my abs are my weakest point. We do the planks in the classes.
Great job getting started. Since you’re new to the gym, I suggest you stick to 3x week for the first 4-6 weeks. See how your body adapts. Then start adding in extra an work, 1 extra day every 2-4 weeks.4 -
carlaringuette wrote: »Thanks for all the tips I am still a newbie just joined the gym 3 weeks ago will have to Google some of those terms listed above. The exercises I listed were the ones that the trainer gave me when I signed up. Don't want to overdo it but want to push hard enough and my abs are my weakest point. We do the planks in the classes.
Great job getting started. Since you’re new to the gym, I suggest you stick to 3x week for the first 4-6 weeks. See how your body adapts. Then start adding in extra an work, 1 extra day every 2-4 weeks.
Too late. I am hooked. I go everyday except Sunday when I just do my 10k steps. I have been at it for a month on the 15th and I am starting to see a teeny difference which is exciting!
I do better when I stick to a routine. In the morning I roll out of bed and get my walk in first thing. In the evening I go straight to the gym on the way home from work. No excuse. That way I can crash on the couch and watch Netflix and know I'm done. Lol3
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