Abs once a week- why?
YouHadMyCuriosity
Posts: 218 Member
I have seen a lot of people on this site and others say that you should only do an ab workout once a week- can anyone tell me the reasoning behind it?
I understand that you can do all the ab workouts you want and won't see 'em if your body fat percentage is too high, but ab workouts are the one thing I actually really enjoy doing- I do one very intense core workout a week, but usually do 2 additional 10-15 minutes bouts of ab moves throughout the week while watching TV, simply because I enjoy it. I guess I'm wondering if the reason people say "once a week" is because that is enough to get results, or if doing more does something negative (like decrease strength from overworking them? Or increase stomach size because they get bulky?)
Apologies if this a dumb question.
I understand that you can do all the ab workouts you want and won't see 'em if your body fat percentage is too high, but ab workouts are the one thing I actually really enjoy doing- I do one very intense core workout a week, but usually do 2 additional 10-15 minutes bouts of ab moves throughout the week while watching TV, simply because I enjoy it. I guess I'm wondering if the reason people say "once a week" is because that is enough to get results, or if doing more does something negative (like decrease strength from overworking them? Or increase stomach size because they get bulky?)
Apologies if this a dumb question.
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My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.0
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bump... I'd like to see more explanation if you get an answer to this. Thanks for posting!0
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I've never heard that. I'd always heard you can work abs daily.0
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My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
If you're doing other workouts correctly, you don't need to isolate - exactly what this dude said! ^^0 -
I'm surprised to hear that too. From what I've heard, abs are really hard to target and recover quickly. Granted they're covered in a lot of exercises, but I hit them specifically in aerial all the time. We always warm up with ab work and then every inversion is an ab workout. It's rare I've been sore the next day in my abs.
I don't do super long ab-specific sets though. Personally, I don't think there's much benefit and your time would be better used elsewhere. But if you really enjoy working them, just listen to your body. And remember to counter stretch: cobra, backbends, etc. People often forget to stretch the front of their body.0 -
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My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
^This.
If you have a weak spot in your core you can add in stuff as assistance exercises to bring things up to speed. But for most people, just doing the major lifts will bring along everything eventually anyway.
I read somewhere wendler thinks weighted abs moves are a good assistance exercise for the OHP, for example. But presumably if you're doing dl variations, you'll get that work in anyway.0 -
I've always done isolation work (including abs) in addition to compound lifts. I think they are beneficial, and I like having the variety in my workouts.0
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If you enjoy doing ab workouts, then keep doing them.0
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I have crunches in my warmup, and I really like some of the "core moves" on the TRX, like pikes, atomic push-ups, etc... I think of the pikes especially as a great way to get some resistance onto a simple and basic body movement. Yeah, it's maybe the least important part of my workouts since I get all the ab work I need on the overhead press.0
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Training a muscle daily increases it's muscular endurance. Beyond that, there's really no advantage to training a muscle more than 2 times a week unless one it trying to increase strength or muscular hypertrophy.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
^^This
I personally don't do isolated ab exercises more than once or twice a week (i do one exercise for abs when I do) but I do all compound workouts so there's not really a need to isolate everyday.0 -
Generally speaking it's unnecessary to do exercises that focus specifically on the abs when your workouts incorporate functional strength movements such as the squat and deadlift since those hit the core very, very hard. Because of that, if you DO want to, it's best to only do it once a week in order to ensure they get sufficient rest between work.0
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I do and every other day and I do different exercises.
Different people have different goals. I personally do isolation exercises and hit the muscles once a week and it works for me if you like doing isolated an exercises then do them every other day. No reason why you can't or shouldn't.0 -
If you enjoy doing ab workouts, then keep doing them.
Pretty much.
Personally don't remember the last time I've done ab work.
Squats/DL work them enough for me
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If you enjoy doing ab workouts, then keep doing them.
Pretty much.
Personally don't remember the last time I've done ab work.
Squats/DL work them enough for me
Same here.........well i do planks sometime too0 -
My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
same here. i dont have any specific core exercises either.
my 3 days a week of lifting, especially deadlifts , 3 varieties of squats (overhead, front and back), good morning, pull ups and pushups all do a pretty good job of working my core.0 -
If you enjoy doing ab workouts, then keep doing them.
Pretty much.
Personally don't remember the last time I've done ab work.
Squats/DL work them enough for meMy reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
Really? You feel like your abs get worked enough in the Squat and DL? How exactly?
Even at max weight with proper form, they are only used to stabalize... ab work is necessary if you want to sufficiently strengthen the abdominals, though not with 3+ exercises and 100+ rep sets like many people think.
For me, I do about 3-4 sets of 12-18 rep cable crunches twice a week.
Also, to answer OP's question, it's a muscle like anything else. People apply a "high rep" approach to them, but the truth is they get stronger with greater resistance, just like all the other muscles. Make sure to give them rest as well, and you'll be fine. One day on, one day off, etc... should be fine.0 -
My reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
Really? You feel like your abs get worked enough in the Squat and DL? How exactly?
Even at max weight with proper form, they are only used to stabalize... ab work is necessary if you want to sufficiently strengthen the abdominals, though not with 3+ exercises and 100+ rep sets like many people think.
I thought stabilization was the point of the abs. I don't really understand why doing heavy compound lifts wouldn't be "enough."0 -
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If you want to do 10 mins of abs 2 or even 3x per week and it's something you enjoy, go right ahead. As long as it doesn't supplant "real" work, knock yourself out. There's nothing wrong with that0
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At one point in my life I could squat 500 and deadlift 600. But I couldn't hold a plank for 15 seconds workout feeling like I was gonna die. Any other strenuous core activity was also a no go. Until I started specifically working my core. When everyone says that squats and deadlifts are enough it doesn't mesh with my particular life experience0
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Like any muscle it needs rest to recover and become stronger. However, I think 2-3x a week is fine. Just not every damn day.0
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If you enjoy doing ab workouts, then keep doing them.
Pretty much.
Personally don't remember the last time I've done ab work.
Squats/DL work them enough for meMy reasoning is because the core is usually hit by full body workouts, deadlift, squat, etc.., so that isolated core work isn't required IMHO.
Really? You feel like your abs get worked enough in the Squat and DL? How exactly?
Even at max weight with proper form, they are only used to stabalize... ab work is necessary if you want to sufficiently strengthen the abdominals, though not with 3+ exercises and 100+ rep sets like many people think.
For me, I do about 3-4 sets of 12-18 rep cable crunches twice a week.
Also, to answer OP's question, it's a muscle like anything else. People apply a "high rep" approach to them, but the truth is they get stronger with greater resistance, just like all the other muscles. Make sure to give them rest as well, and you'll be fine. One day on, one day off, etc... should be fine.
Technically, the abdominals are there to stabilize in most situations. Floor work is not a natural state for humans. However, I do like feeling a pump in the abdominals (even at 460lb I can feel my abs under the layers of fat after working them directly). I think 3x8-15 of two different exercises is plenty for an ab workout. I've been doing one abs and one oblique. An example would be Cable Crunches and Landmine 180's.0 -
That is right one with what my personal trainer told me
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I work them directly twice per week. Usually a mixture of twisting motion, for flexibility/mobility, and higher rep or isometric for endurance.
I think people take things to either extreme to often. One person destroys them daily and the next doesn't think it necessary to work them directly at all.
If all you care about it visible abs then it is true that you dont have to do anything except lose body fat.
If you work them daily you are not going to get any better results than the person doing them once or twice per week so why waste the time.0 -
Really? You feel like your abs get worked enough in the Squat and DL? How exactly?
I guess it's what you define as "worked enough" and the purpose you are working them for.
In a dynamic exercise working through a full range of motion many muscle groups work isometrically to support the movement - including your abs. As such you get sufficient core activation in something like a squat / OHP whatever for them to be worked enough for your general activities of daily living - it is works the unit (your body as a whole) to function in a way it does naturally.
As such additional core work won't really be necessary.0 -
I never do abs. I do kettlebell = lots of core work.0
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I do them with weights/low reps 2x a week.
I work them everyday, though, because they are my favorite bodypart to use in warming up, lol. They don't get tired easily, so I like to get the blood flowing with ab work. They also don't give me tendon problems like other moves that I have to watch my time on. I haven't noticed any problems at all in not giving them the solid rest I give my other muscles. I consider it a bit like jogging or walking on rest days or before lifting, except I use my abs. Since they recover quickly, it just works best for me.0 -
So many great responses guys! So, trying to figure out the general consensus in my case, I'm getting:
-Keep doing the once a week kettlebell core focused workout (plenty of squats, deadlifts, etc in there), because that is getting my abs most of what they need.
- My 10-15 minute sessions twice a week while watching TV may not be doing much extra GOOD, but they're not really harming anything either, as they are not a "waste of time" in the sense that I would be doing anything else in that time aside from sitting on the couch. I can see that if those 20-30 minutes a week would be spent on a different workout, they might be more beneficial overall, but those are just during my "catching up on my shows" time- maybe I'll mix it up and do some isolation curls, or something else in that time once a week. (I assume I don't overtrain them because they are my only strong body part, and the only body part that rarely gets tired).
Is that somewhat correct?0
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