ABS how many times a week?

msthang444

Hubby is tryin to convince me to do 500 abs (crunches, situp, etc.) a day. I feel like that's overkill.

Opinions?

Cherimoose

Probably overkill, yes.

What benefit is he hoping you'll get from it?

Spyderbaby

500?! A day?! He goes first.

KatissimusDorsi

Did you ask him why he thinks you should do that at all? Is there a specific goal you're looking to achieve or just for the challenge of it?

msthang444

I collect weight in my tummy. I know that you can't spot reduce... but I don't think he is quite there yet. I think he thinks I can shrink my tummy (belly to be honest) by doing a kajillion abs. My thought is that if i don't get rid of the fat over it it won't matter...

And FTR, he does the 500 abs daily

Spyderbaby

Then he should know better.

KatissimusDorsi

Fun fact, sit-ups activate your hip flexors more than your abs!

Anyway, just keep re-iterating that you can't spot reduce. Be confident. He is wrong, you are right!

Just like you said, gotta just lose overall bodyfat in order to lose belly fat. Personally I find heavy squats and deadlifts to be a better abdominal workout than sit ups anyday!

Azdak

Hubby is tryin to convince me to do 500 abs (crunches, situp, etc.) a day. I feel like that's overkill.

Opinions?

That's about 500 too many.

ndj1979

lose body fat..

work abs about 1x a week

lift heavy with compound movements…

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Do 75 hanging pikes and make the rest of your abs in the kitchen instead.

SugaryLynx

Hubby is tryin to convince me to do 500 abs (crunches, situp, etc.) a day. I feel like that's overkill.

Opinions?

That's about 500 too many.

^my thoughts exactly. Screw that!

Cranquistador

NEVER

lacurandera1

Most people I've met who have visible abs don't do direct ab work. I'd venture to say the biggest thing you'll get from 500 crunches a day is bored. If your goals we're bodybuilding, by all means, do direct ab work. But it's not gonna make your stomach flatter.

Moderate deficit and cardio and or strength training you enjoy and you'll stick with. Rinse and repeat. That's the equation for a smaller waistline.

ottermotorcycle

There are so many more effective things that you can do for your abs than situps and crunches, why on earth would you do 500 of them?

Do some resistance-based (re: holding something heavy) ab exercises and do it 2-3 times a week.

lacurandera1

Fun fact, sit-ups activate your hip flexors more than your abs!

Anyway, just keep re-iterating that you can't spot reduce. Be confident. He is wrong, you are right!

Just like you said, gotta just lose overall bodyfat in order to lose belly fat. Personally I find heavy squats and deadlifts to be a better abdominal workout than sit ups anyday!

Deads are great for abs. So is kicking, punching, yoga inversions.....

Sunbrooke

I only target my abs specifically on rare occasion. I feel like most of the exercises I do work my core, but I have noticed in the past that working them tooich seems to give me a thicker midsection. Just my experience.

ndj1979

Most people I've met who have visible abs don't do direct ab work. I'd venture to say the biggest thing you'll get from 500 crunches a day is bored. If your goals we're bodybuilding, by all means, do direct ab work. But it's not gonna make your stomach flatter.

Moderate deficit and cardio and or strength training you enjoy and you'll stick with. Rinse and repeat. That's the equation for a smaller waistline.

agree..I target mine once a week but that is because that is my "non lifting day' and I am bored….

Hauntinglyfit

I don't do abs.

jardimgirl

Bump

MysteriousLdy

Twice a week

jofjltncb6

I'll ab-wheel once or twice a week as a derping around accessory exercise.

500 crunches? That's crazy-talk.

Relevant97

500 is pointless, you need to stop curling into a ball and start deadlifting and squatting.

OverDoIt

If you have or are holding visceral fat and subcutaneous water in your abdominal region, sit ups crunches and the like will only make matters worse. Why ? As the abdominal muscles are stimulated and grow the layer of fat and water will be pushed out making the region appear distended and therfore larger. We all have abdominal muscles, how they appear when body fat levels get into the single digits comes down to genetics. Some people have 4 packs, 6 packs 10 packs and all other varieties. For the majority of humans, abdominals are made up of red muscle fiber. Red muscle fiber can tolerate higher volume and stimulus due to the fact we use this fiber the most in daily living activities. Think about it, every time you get up, kneel down, stand, sit down you are asking your abdominals to work. The same is true for calves, we ask alot of those little guys back there. What seperates them from other muscle groups ? They are small and therefore recover faster. Get you Bf % down and you will see your abs, using compund lifts is good but getting that bf % down is #1.

abadvat

Abs are there and it wont take much to develop them to give that visual fullness when you drop to 10-8% BF.
I personally bash them twice a week - purely because I sort of enjoy being soar the day after - freak i know :noway: -

steve0820

Hubby is tryin to convince me to do 500 abs (crunches, situp, etc.) a day. I feel like that's overkill.

Opinions?

Doing 500 crunches/sit ups a day, will get your better at doing 500 crunches/sit ups a day!

Like other posters have said, compound lifts are great for core, and lowering your BF is needed to "reveal" them.

geebusuk

Activities that target the abs will will improve your abdominal muscles.
If you already have fat there, you will get fat ONTOP of muscle. There will be more, not less.
HOWEVER, when you get your bodyfat down, you should have a more defined mid section underneath.

Chadomaniac

NEVER

This

But I do core once a week (Lower back issues)

Your husband wont get abs faster by doing abs every day , he will prob end up with a hernia or something especially if he isn't used to it .
He needs to start lifting to increase his LBM . Then he can go onto a calorie deficit in order to lose fat to expose the abdominals

Chadomaniac

...

Capt_Apollo

it's long but a good read.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/sexy_female_training;jsessionid=66665DD569C8D429A57CD23301C4703A-mcd01.hydra

direct ab training often doesn't give us the results we'd like.

mustgetmuscles1

I do "abs" twice per week.

2x10 weighted Russian twists
2x10 Windshield wipers
2x1minute planks

I mostly do it because I can feel them better, when I lift, if I do a bit of a warm up first. Reminds me to keep them tight. I also like the twisting motion because it feels like a good stretch that I dont get from lifting.


Doing some crunches is fine but 500 is just....well lets just go with pointless.

just_Jennie1

I do abs every other day so some weeks I'm doing them 3x and other weeks 2x depending on what day they fall.