Abs daily or not?

Options
13

Replies

  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Options
    I would expect that recovery time would have something to do with age. A twenty year old is going to recover much faster than a sixty year old. And yet the advice doled out in these threads rarely takes age into consideration.
  • trojanbb
    trojanbb Posts: 1,297 Member
    Options
    twice a year, if that.

    Compound lifts take care of abs. And yes, my abs are great, even while eating a surplus for two years straight.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Options
    I have a hard time getting my abs to feel much, and I am often at a loss as to what I can do for exercise to get to an hour after lifting, so I'll do moves that mainly involve abs/core, lol. Other parts of my body get worn out faster (structural+nerve issues and Ehlers-Danlos). So that's one reason to do them every day. Not a common reason! :D

    I only use weights for them 2-3x a week, though. That's for aesthetics so far, because I can't get that vertical line without weight on my upper abs for some reason. I can't do most compound stuff, so I can't do the recommended way to get abs.

    My situation is so odd that I don't know that it helps. Um, weighted, isolated ab work isn't a bad thing might be a takeaway. It makes them look good, if you can see them. Presumably it makes them stronger, which is always nice. I know my weights have been progressing for abs just like any other muscle. But whether to do isolated ab work or not is personal preference if you do compound lifts that hit them, as far as I've heard :)

    I can do some cool strength moves that take abs, so that's one motivation for me to keep at what is working. And I need a very strong core with my 'health' issues (I call them mechanical issues because my health is great ;) ). A strong core is always awesome. Add more core work if you like, imho. I think planks, etc, one day and weights the next is not too much, but you'd have to feel it out for your body.
  • elkahallick
    elkahallick Posts: 1,138 Member
    Options
    Elka, I gotta say i think your advice would result in failure for a lot of people. I don;t doubt for a second that its what you do, but, while we aren't magic snowflakes we also aren't the same. And almost everyone in this thread doesnt have the muscuular base you have and most likely lacks your training experience.

    Remember what they say "Dont train like a bodybuilder to look like one. You'll fail".... at the beginning stages thats absolutely true

    Maybe you're right about a new lifter, but rarely can you hurt yourself don't core workouts... The original op asked "how often do you do abs?" I was just answering the question... Ps I didn't have theses abs a year ago...
  • eksproductions
    eksproductions Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    I'm so far away from seeing abs that this was not about creating them, or defining them at all. It's another muscle/body part that I want to work into my routine. I workout with weights three days a week, but I haven't done anything for my abs. I'll just add it into these days, or do them on my cardio days.

    Thanks for all the suggestions.
  • Yiazach
    Yiazach Posts: 209 Member
    Options
    Elka, I gotta say i think your advice would result in failure for a lot of people. I don;t doubt for a second that its what you do, but, while we aren't magic snowflakes we also aren't the same. And almost everyone in this thread doesnt have the muscuular base you have and most likely lacks your training experience.

    Remember what they say "Dont train like a bodybuilder to look like one. You'll fail".... at the beginning stages thats absolutely true

    Maybe you're right about a new lifter, but rarely can you hurt yourself don't core workouts... The original op asked "how often do you do abs?" I was just answering the question... Ps I didn't have theses abs a year ago...

    As a physical therapist i can guarantee that it is close to impossible to hurt your core muscles seriously (lower back excluded, you all know that **** is tricky) doing sensible workouts like planks, good form crunches or whatever you want
  • linzchapates
    linzchapates Posts: 135
    Options
    Plank until you can't plank no more! ;)
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Options
    I do ab work after ever session. Compound lifts hit the core, but doing dedicated ab work is going to help out all your lifts.
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
    Options
    twice a year, if that.

    ......... And yes, my abs are great............

    yes.they.are! :wink:
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Options
    I'd like a pic ms lewis ;)

    i do direct ab work 3-4 times a week

    I like to do it before a resistence or cardio workout. its a great warm up for either, and i'm a firm believer that if there is a particular body party you want to capitalize on, doing it first helps.

    i do squats, OHP, pull ups (no deadlifts but i should) plus a lot of crazy HIIT that always envolves core. So in reality, they are getting SOME kind of work at least 6 days a week. I could say the same things for my arms, or at least my forearms.

    its a general 'rule' that you shouldn't work a body part every day, or even two days in a row. if your advanced, or you need to break a plateau, its not crazy to bend the rules. But the intelligent thing to do would be to break them for a limited time only. the longer you keep doing something daily, the greater the risk of an over use injury (which are chronic PIAs).
  • mitchfralic
    mitchfralic Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    I've seen people struggle to get ripped abs, they never would show through until they got their act together in the kitchen to shed the fat. You can work your abs until you are blue in the face but it won't matter if your BF isn't low enough to see em.

    Now I'm still working on mine of course :) But I firmly believe in the saying "Abs are made in the kitchen"
    This is only true in part. The thicker the abs the less BF% is needed to be visible. Heavy resistance with weights proven to help in adding size to the muscles would result in abs being seen with more BF%. That being said, proper lifting will aid a great deal in abs indirectly so to isolate them is really not necessary unless you are competing and need every little striation to show.
    Crap posted this on my wifes account
    James6998
  • elkahallick
    elkahallick Posts: 1,138 Member
    Options
    I do ab work after ever session. Compound lifts hit the core, but doing dedicated ab work is going to help out all your lifts.

    ^^^^^ this
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Options
    Plank until you can't plank no more! ;)

    I actually hurt my lower back pushing myself to hold a plank too long, I'd suggest you work up to a minute. Remember your abs and your back work together to stabilize you, so if one is weak, the other will compensate. Both were weak and I tweaked my back for about a week. :tongue:
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Options
    i also agree that direct work can only help.

    is it necessary? i suppose it depends on how well the compound lifts are doing it for you AND what level of development your going to reach.

    I've certainly exerperienced some magnificant core muslce contractions during an over head press... but doing extra work is only going to make your core more resiliant and therefore make you more physically fit.

    My top exercises are the hanging leg raise and hanging knee raise.

    personally think crunches get a bad wrap. when your 'six pack' muslces contract, it brings your sternum about and inch closer to your pelvis. aka a crunch.

    I understand that most people can do crunches all day long, but if you do hanging leg raises (or any other lower ab exercise) to failure, and then you do crunches, you'll start feeling an intense burn by 30 crunches. I also contract the crap out of my abs and hold it at the top for a count.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
    Options
    3 times per week, every other day.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    Options
    I RARELY work my abs directly.

    Instead I squat, do pushups, planks (which is core work), and box.

    I'm now also adding lifting into my workout.



    My best ab workout this week (i.e. the sorest they have been in a long time) came from: Pushups, squats, deadlifts, and bench press.

    ETA : I will amend that to say, however, that I am very aware of my core, and do my best to keep it engaged most of the time.
    I keep my abs contracted when I'm walking, running, lifting, boxing, sitting... You get my point. It's incredibly tiring at first, but it seems to work for me - at the very least, it's great for posture.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
    Options
    I do "ab moves" 2-3 times a week, usually on lower body day.

    But I'm doing mostly compound exercises or TRX stuff for my "other body parts".

    I'd say my abs look pretty good for someone who was fat at the beginning of the year.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    Options
    I do a focused ab workout once a week. But most all other workouts included core conditioning.
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    When I was a teenager I did 500 crunches a day trying to get Britney abs...didn't do a damn thing.

    Dropped a stone with diet and total body workouts - abs more chiselled than ever!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Options
    When I was a teenager I did 500 crunches a day trying to get Britney abs...didn't do a damn thing.

    Dropped a stone with diet and total body workouts - abs more chiselled than ever!

    why assume the crunches were of no benefit?

Categories