abs

[fearlesss]

Abs are easy, the thing is for best results is to mix it up.

Commando pull ups, hanging twists, sit up (cruchies, regs, incline, wieghted, Twists ), Standing twists, superman. all work, done 3 weeks weekly @about 300 per day or max.

[elitesnautica]

If you are able to work abs more than 2-3 times per week then you have far better genetics than Ronnie Coleman.

Abs can be trained more than large body parts. But to build truely dense muscle - you must exercise and then rest. You DO NOT BUILD ABS while working out - you breakdown the muscle and you must rest in order to rebuild that muscle group.

As stated before 2-3 times per week. This is based on not only scientific evidence from 1000's of studies but also anectdotally by everyone I have worked with or seen work out in the gym.

You may be going for the flat look not the "six pack" look - if that is the case - hell work them out as much as you want. You will not have much definition - but if you are eating right and doing enough cardio then you will have a flat stomach. But if that is the look that you are going for then you can leave the ab training out all together.

Nautica

[rackham]

Originally posted by elitesnautica

If you are able to work abs more than 2-3 times per week then you have far better genetics than Ronnie Coleman.

Abs can be trained more than large body parts. But to build truely dense muscle - you must exercise and then rest. You DO NOT BUILD ABS while working out - you breakdown the muscle and you must rest in order to rebuild that muscle group.

As stated before 2-3 times per week. This is based on not only scientific evidence from 1000's of studies but also anectdotally by everyone I have worked with or seen work out in the gym.

You may be going for the flat look not the "six pack" look - if that is the case - hell work them out as much as you want. You will not have much definition - but if you are eating right and doing enough cardio then you will have a flat stomach. But if that is the look that you are going for then you can leave the ab training out all together.

Nautica

Great advice.

[Guest jroo]

i really dont see why you cant train abs 5 days a week, i wouldnt train bi's or anything like that that often, but abs. sure, why not? my fav ab exercise is hanging sit ups, on monkey bars.

[rackham]

Originally posted by jroo

i really dont see why you cant train abs 5 days a week, i wouldnt train bi's or anything like that that often, but abs. sure, why not? my fav ab exercise is hanging sit ups, on monkey bars.

Because abs are a muscle just like any other and therefore require time to heal and overcompensate before you train them again.

[elitesnautica]

Originally posted by rackham

Because abs are a muscle just like any other and therefore require time to heal and overcompensate before you train them again.

Yep. btw rackham - you seem to know quite abit about training. Are you a bodybuilder or on any of the fitness sites???

Nautica

[rackham]

Originally posted by elitesnautica

Yep. btw rackham - you seem to know quite abit about training. Are you a bodybuilder or on any of the fitness sites???

Nautica

Nope, I just feel like if I'm going to be training, I should be as informed as possible.

[elitesnautica]

Originally posted by rackham

Nope, I just feel like if I'm going to be training, I should be as informed as possible.

cool

[ladyshady]

its all about protien my man, protein

[rackham]

Originally posted by ladyshady

its all about protien my man, protein

what is?

[cc99]

I have a hard time losing my middle abs(around and below belly button). I try to work out my abs 3 times a week. My upper and lower abs have some definition, but the middles still have a little gut to them. Does my diet play a big role in the development. I personally just want a flat stomach, maybe some definition. Am I destined to have a little gut no matter what??

Thanks for the help:)

[rackham]

Crunches don't cut fat -- burning more calories than you eat does. So yes, diet plays a *huge* role.

[cc99]

Does anyone have a good routine of diet and exercise to help obtain some nice abs. Thanks for the help.

[wideskies]

no amount of ab work is going to give you a six-pack or flat abs (whichever it is you're aiming for) if you have a layer of fat sitting on top of your stomach. in order to reveal your muscles, you'll need to lose fat.

to lose fat, you need to exercise and diet responsibly-- ie, reduce your calories *intake* and up your calorie *expenditure* so that you're losing a pound or two a week. don't starve yourself, though: it'll hinder your progress in the long run by messing with your metabolism and generally making you feel like crap.

to lose a pound (a combination of fat and muscle... to minimize muscle loss, eat lots of protein and keep lifting weights) a week, you'll have to aim for a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories. for example, you can do that by running for 30 minutes (estimated 300 calories used, depending on body weight) and cutting out 200 calories from your diet--- this can be as simple as replacing candy bars with apples. a little bit of research will help you make decisions regarding your diet. let me know if you want links.

as for the abs themselves: work them as you would any other muscle: 1-3 times per week, 2-3 sets, however many number of reps fatigues them (8-12 is a good range to start), etc. you're going for quality, not quantity. people who claim that you have to do 300 reps a day to get a toned stomach are full of shit. those people are just SKINNY.

remember, most normal, non-bodybuilding types don't tend to have really cut stomachs because it requires a really low body fat percentage. unless your genetics makes you naturally skinny or carry your fat in other places besides the stomach, don't think that you're doing something wrong if that ripped look doesn't come easily. most women, in fact, will lose their periods before they reach that body fat level because it just ain't healthy for them.

i didn't include any links, but i'm sure a few people on here have some good ones.

[rackham]

What wideskies said.

http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#getasixpack

How do I get a 6-pack?

Everyone has a six-pack of abs. The ability to see them is completely dependent upon body fat levels. If you want to show off a washboard stomach, then drop the body fat. Spot reduction is a myth. Hundreds of situps or crunches will not "bring out" the abs if they're covered in fat.

If you want to increase the strength of your abdominals (and every lifter should), then perform abdominal exercises with WEIGHT. 100 reps of any exercise is a waste of time.

http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#eattoloseweight

How many Calories?

Someone trying to lose body fat should consume between 10 and 15 times their body weight in Calories per day. A common goal is to consume about 250 Calories fewer than you would normally require, and exercise to burn off an extra 250 Calories. At this Calorie deficit of 500 Calories per day, a person will lose about 1 pound of fat per week. A person should never lose more than 2 pounds per week. The faster the weight is lost, the more likely muscle will be lost instead of fat. Other health problems are also associated with drastic weight loss.

[pookie23]

I had to bump this back because I told my brother about this thread and he dropped about 1,000 f-bombs with regards to doing ab work.

He's the type that will do hundreds of crunches a day and he's completely shredded (6-pack and less than 4% bodyfat overall) and he argues that if you don't do THAT MANY crunches then you won't get the results like he does. Working them 3 times a week or doing 3 sets of 15 is complete and utter garbage in his eyes. "Why do crunches then?" he says.

Since I'm working out again, I want to follow the right path - I've done his workout in the past and it has shown results.

What are your thoughts on this Elite? He's a professional runner, so I'll take him at his word for now.

Thanks

[berniec]

i think the key thing in your post was mentioning that he had a really low bf (being a runner would explain that) so if he's really that rippoed then even if he did minimal ab work you'd still probably be able to see his abs because his bf is so low...

just a shot in the dark here

[proudof3Ys]

Don't know if anyone can answer this question.

Gave birth to 3 girls and I can't seem to get rid of the loose skin on my lower belly.

My weight after giving birth to my third child was 140, and now my weight is 120.

I do work out and do my sit-ups and stuff, but can't seem to get rid of it.

Can someone please help:)