Arms and abs every day?

kcmurray

I am doing my share of cardio, but I really want to tone up my arms and abs. Is it okay to do arm and ab exercises every day? I've heard in the past that you should only strength train a few times each week, but I want to see RESULTS.

abalicious

I think you should alternate every day between arms and abs, that way your body can rest those muscles for 24 hours before anything more strenuous.

ltf304

Don't do upper body two days in row. Your muscles need to rest in order for them to grow.

Arizona_JR

I agree with Abalicious... just like every other muscle, they need a day off to rest and recover. Besides, working them excessively runs the risk of making them bigger. If that's what you want then keep at it, but you won't lose fat off them by working them so hard.

mabella17

Doing them everyday is not a good idea. You have to give you muscles a chance to recover. If you do them everyday your muscles will get used to it and you won't see results after awhile. I do P90X and Tony Horton says to alternate workouts with different muscles, such as back and chest one day then arms and abs, this causing muscles confusion will burn more and more results.
Just my opinion though, I am no expert!

avninjalette123

Upper one day, lower the next...BUT back and abs can be done everyday. =] (I'm not making this up, it's straight from a Trainer I had) I asked the same thing =]

mheightchew

You shouldn't work you arms every day but I have heard you can work your abs daily as long as you switch up your workout.

beachbum13

As long as you use resistance and not weights you can do them everyday. For example, pushups or resistance bands can be used daily but with dumbbells you need 48 hrs to rest.

Arizona_JR

Doing them everyday is not a good idea. You have to give you muscles a chance to recover. If you do them everyday your muscles will get used to it and you won't see results after awhile. I do P90X and Tony Horton says to alternate workouts with different muscles, such as back and chest one day then arms and abs, this causing muscles confusion will burn more and more results.
Just my opinion though, I am no expert!

The "muscle confusion" is really based more on changing up your routine every 4th week. Bodybuilders figured this out decades ago, that the body starts to adapt to a workout that is constant for 4 or more weeks. So it's important to not do the same workout routine longer than 3 weeks. P90X helps keep things from getting stale, which is why it is so effective for so many people.

As far as working the same body part several days in a row, you have to ask yourself why you want to do it. Are you looking for stronger abs, arms, back or are you under the false impression that working them everyday will burn fat in that area?

Muscles need rest. Let them rest.

circusmom

I work my abs every time I hit the weights, 3 days a week. I work my arms two days a week, once for bi's, once for tri's.

joellarsen

Abs can be done daily, arms (and just about everything else) need some recovery time. As get older, that recovery time seems to get a bit longer (sigh).