Should I do ab exercises?

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Honeydukes95
Honeydukes95 Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I know this might be a silly question, but I'm self conscious about my stomach and obliques looking larger than they need to, since my fat tends to go to my lower belly and obliques the fastest. So I'm sort of afraid that it will appear that I have more fat, when in reality it's muscles under a layer of fat.

I know building muscle will burn calories faster, but if that's the case, couldn't I build muscle in my legs/thighs? I know some people say they don't want to work out their abs because it'll make their stomach bigger, but should you actually skip working them out entirely? What do you guys think?

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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    what's the training plan for the rest of your body?
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    Working your abs won't make them bigger. you'll need surplus to add any mass and even at that, you're core won't just suddenly pop out. Some people can experience "lifters gut" if they train intensely with the big compound exercises, but i'm talking powerlifters and strongmen for the most part.

    Lowering BF% with a calorie deficit is how to achieve a nice stomach, the issue is for 99% of us, this is the last place our bodies then to hold on to the fat for dear life, sucks, but it's reality.

    If you're already incorporating compound exercises like Squats, deadlifts, OHP, etc... you're already attacking the core more then enough, supplemental core work isn't really needed.

    I tend to add some isometric exercises like planks, l-sits, vholds, things like that, but unless i;m in a calorie surplus, I don't need to worry about my stomach getting any bigger.

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