Ab Workouts

[codo]

Since the beginning of September I have been going to the gym three times a week. For the past months I haven't been working the abs. I assumed I'd be getting a workout of them just by doing the other workouts, which I am quite sure I have been.

I am quite pleased with my results thus far, my goal was, and still is to gain weight. I started at 150 pounds beginning of September and am now hovering around 170.

As it stands my workout plan is Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

I'm in my strength phase:

Monday:
chest:
Dumbbell bench press 5 reps of 4 sets
Incline dumbbell bench press 5X4
Dumbbell flies 5x4
Tris:
Dips [to failure] 3 sets
tricep pull downs 8x4
skull crushers 5x4
close push ups to failure 3 sets


Wednesday:
Legs:
front squats 5repsx4sets
jumping lunges 5x4
hamstring curl 5x4
skipping [as much as i can do]
Shoulders:
dumbbell shoulder press 5x4
barbell shoulder press 10x4 front and back
front + lateral raise 8x4

Friday:
Back:
Deadlifts: 5X4 or 5X5
lever bent over row close grip 5x4
pull ups to failure or lat pull downs 5x4
back extension 10x3 weighted
Biceps:
straight bar curls 5x4
preacher curls 5x4
21's
dumbbell concentration curls 5x3

1.5-2 minute breaks for all of these workouts.
Usually in and out of the gym within an hour approximately.
So I was just going to see not only when I should fit in a day of abs, but also when or if I should be adding another workout day, like Tuesday or Thursday? Preferably if I did this it would either be a back day or leg day as I feel those need more work. Another alternative would be a whole body.

Anyways all thoughts and opinions welcome.


Thanks.

[swak]

Abs are made in the kitchen.
Work on your diet if you want abs.


/thread.

[codo]

Originally posted by swak
Abs are made in the kitchen.
Work on your diet if you want abs.


/thread.

Oh I realize that, and I know I wont get great looking abs unless I lose body fat, however, nothing wrong with training them and making them stronger for when I decide to cut. I think abs is like any other muscle, so I don't feel I should be neglecting it as I am doing now. I was just going to see when people think I should be working this into my gym schedule whether it be on Tuesday or Thursday or on one of my current gym days.

[zipdoa]

hang upside down at your local jungle gym and do crunches with your arms behind your head (as if you were getting busted by the cops)

[CivicTunr]

if you can do a 1 sit up, you have abs.
its just you have to much body fat.

[anschutz_92]

You can only put on around 1lb on lean muscle a month, which means the most weight gain you could have is around 2-3 lbs a month (without gaining significant fat). Since you put on double this weight... guess what the majority of your gains were? The only way to get more visible abs is to loose some of that weight.

I often work out with a bunch of girls.... No, not some guys who can't lift shit; girls. They got me doing some gay 11 minute abs routine a couple months ago. Before this I didn't do any real abs exercises. It goes:

crunchesx45sec
15sec break
right side crunchesx45sec
15 sec break
left side crunchesx45sec
15 sec break
bicyclex45sec
15sec break
crunches (going putting opposing elbow to knee each time)x45sec
15sec break
wiper bladex45sec
15sec break
front bridgex45sec
15sec break
side bridgex45sec
15sec break
side bridgex45sec
15sec break
-do whatever you wantx45sec.

.... it doesn't even add up to 11 minutes. No wonder these girls are only in General Science. I'm not a personal trainer, just some average dude so take this with a grain of salt. I have been getting some decent results with this though and you can do it everyday at home or gym.

[CivicTunr]

you dont work your chest out everyday, so why would you work out your abs everyday?

[ragu]

Every muscle part is different, abs and legs can be worked out more than once a week. I work abs 3 days a week, 2 days for legs. But that also includes a LOT of cardio.....

[kutt3r]

Originally posted by swak
Abs are made in the kitchen.
Work on your diet if you want abs.

/thread.

This comment has always annoyed me...

Abs are MADE in the gym... they are shown through the kitchen.

PL'er= STRONG abs/core (Keg)
BB'er= Strong and defined abs/core (8 pack & stridation)
Skinny Kid= Defined, but weak (6 pack)

Abs like calves 'can' be trained everyday... guess what you are 'training' them no matter what...

If you really train them hard, such as with weight/volume type training... then I would suggest a break between workouts.

I train heavy abs 2x/week
Light yoga/stretching 3x/week

anschutz_92 - has a solid plan there.. have seen it before, great for core strength.

PS... Your training abs Wed/Fri if you are doing your squats and deads properly with a tight core.

:D

[timdog]

i dont believe that you can train abs every day. its a total crock. if your sore, you shouldnt be working out that muscle because it is recovering. calves, chest, abs, doesnt matter. everyone recovers differently, some people have to wait 72 hours, some people have no soreness after 36 hours. abs are muscles and therefore work the same essential way....

[Mckenzie]

The best ab exercise I have ever done in my years or working out is hands down a diagonal woodchop done backwards with a dumb-bell ...as in you start holding say a 25 lb weight down by your right hip / quad, and you twist / thrust the weight upwards over your left shoulder (think like swinging a golf club just before impact and following all the way through). Over the past 3 months I am starting to see the little abs up by my rib cage really come out and my core is really solid.

3 sets of 12 on each side is all you will need to train your abs each time you work them- 100% guaranteed you will be ready to hit the change room after these. I find I am out of breath more than intervals when I do cardio...they are killer. They also work your back, legs, shoulders and arms so its a fantastic all in one exercise. I do this 3 times a week at the end of my work out and love / hate them.

I have also taken any type of ab exercise that does not involve extra weight out of my workout. Situps and crunchs to me are useless now.

Other exercises to put in:

Planks- try to get to 90 seconds on all sides, 3 x
Rubber Band Planks- pick the heaviest one and also try for 60-90 seconds on each side
Cable twist
Cable crunch
Jack-knife

I have seen more results from these in the last 12 months than 10+ years of doing crunchs.

Finally, abs are made in the gym, but you will never see them until you pay attention to your diet...that is indisputable.

[whiskas]

Originally posted by Mckenzie

I have also taken any type of ab exercise that does not involve extra weight out of my workout. Situps and crunchs to me are useless now.


Have you tried anchored situps with a dumbbell held under your chin? I grab a 40lbs DB from the weight area and after 3x12 (alternated with a non-core excercise) I feel like I'm gonna puke.

[kutt3r]

Originally posted by timdog
i dont believe that you can train abs every day. its a total crock. if your sore, you shouldnt be working out that muscle because it is recovering. calves, chest, abs, doesnt matter. everyone recovers differently, some people have to wait 72 hours, some people have no soreness after 36 hours. abs are muscles and therefore work the same essential way....

The trouble is people do 20 situps and think they have worked their abs....thus the disclaimer about heavy/volume training...
I could do 100 crunches a day and feel nothing, but when I do 100-120lbs weighted crunches there is no way I am working them the next day, nor would I be planing squats or deads.

I completely disagee that abs and calves function the same as most muscles, that is why they are so hard to train and actually get results from. The volume and weight that you have to use to get tears is much higher than any other muscle group.

You are talking about two muscle groups that have a constant load on them, every step is esentially a body weight calf raise. To stay upright your core is constantly worked...

[Mckenzie]

Originally posted by whiskas


Have you tried anchored situps with a dumbbell held under your chin? I grab a 40lbs DB from the weight area and after 3x12 (alternated with a non-core excercise) I feel like I'm gonna puke.

I have done that and it is difficult for sure. The only thing I do not like about these is that they are really tough on the back (crunches are beyond a pre-determined load level of acceptable strain on the back muscles per a Canadian study).

Also, I find doing the reverse wood-chops or cable twists is that you engage arms, shoulders, back, legs and your entire core to perform them giving you more bang for your buck I suppose.

Maybe isolation of muscle vs. less isolation of more muscles...not sure what is better, but for me time is not a luxury so I try and go for exercises that work more than one muscle.

[TurboD]

i always worry about heavy weighted core workouts causing a hernia.

ive always been told that its not heavy weight that will benifit the core, but rather reps and stressing the muscle out. as i understand it, Abs are made up of red muscle fibers which is different from say biceps, so they can handle a lot more reps but shouldn't be worked with heavy weight like a bicep.

[kutt3r]

Originally posted by TurboD
i always worry about heavy weighted core workouts causing a hernia.

ive always been told that its not heavy weight that will benifit the core, but rather reps and stressing the muscle out. as i understand it, Abs are made up of red muscle fibers which is different from say biceps, so they can handle a lot more reps but shouldn't be worked with heavy weight like a bicep.

Maybe with poor form and weight outside your ability... I have been doing heavy ab work for 10+ years and have never had an issue, other than a thick waist.

The heavy ab work makes doing heavy deads and squats that much easier as you are used to the load and can better handle it, but it is not for everyone. That is why I suggest heavy and/or volume depending on your goal.

[Paul1234]

Originally posted by CivicTunr
you dont work your chest out everyday, so why would you work out your abs everyday?

so i get rock hard abs, your sister loves them ;)

[civic_rida]

The way your abs look is genetic also.

Example

how many people have abs like this

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/data/503/medium/1973392orig.jpg

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by civic_rida
The way your abs look is genetic also.

Example

how many people have abs like this

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/data/503/medium/1973392orig.jpg

I think thats more roids + cutting than genetics.

[CivicTunr]

edit: assholes! stupid ast classmates.

[JAYMEZ]

Originally posted by civic_rida
The way your abs look is genetic also.

Example

how many people have abs like this

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/data/503/medium/1973392orig.jpg


That guy does steriods. Hes on bodybuilders.com.

[89coupe]

I don't why anyone would think that is a nice set of abs. Looks like a genetic deformity to me...LOL

[civic_rida]

I really dont think hes on roids though.
hes on www.bodybuilding.com hes 5'8 166 lbs .