Abs! Abs! Abs!

[Francis]

Since they are so many questions about abs and they always repeat themselves, I tought I'd post everything I know about them. Add anything that you think might be pertinent or feel free to correct me in anything I screwed up. Why not make this thread a sticky?
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How do I get a 6-pack?
Abs are 90% diet and 10% workout. No matter if you do 100 crunches a day with 50 pound weights in each hand, your abs will never show if there is fat covering them since they grow upward and downward, not outward. Your waist is the first place fat will be trapped and the last place it will leave. So cardio and diet is the best way to get those abs showing.

Also, you cannot "spot reduce" your belly. Fat is lost throughout the whole body. Check out the board's "Nutrition" section for some good tips.

Why should I train abs then?
Your abdominal muscles are used as stabilizers and helpers in a lot of exercises. Training the abs will improvement this "core strength" and can dramatically reduce the risk of injury (especially lower back). It will improve your strength and form on some major lifts (squats, deadlifts, military presses, pull-ups, etc), which means that you'll be able to add more weight, which means more muscle!

When should I train my abs?
Abs are a small muscle group and generally heal pretty quickly. Most people will be able to work them out twice a week. Just try to separate them as much as possible (like Mondays and Fridays). Since the abs are used as stabilizers in a lot of movements, it's usually best to train them at the end of your workout, so they won't be exhausted before you lift, thus reducing the risk of injury.

How should I work my abs?
Pretty much like any other muscle group: Low reps, high weight. Even though it's a small muscle group, it's still responds the the same stimuli as any other group and the best way to strenghten and grow the abs is with heavy weight. Although, if you only want a tinner waistline and you still have a lot of fat around the midsection, you should go with lower weights and higher reps. Since the muscles under the fat will push out the fat, this will give your waist a bulkier appearance, thus lowering the weight will still give you a good ab-strenghtening workout, but muscle growth will not be optimal. When you reach a desired level of definition, you should go back to the highweight, low rep format.

Ab exercises make my back hurt! What can I do?
One of the few ab exercise that doesn't put strain on the lower back is the Kneeling Cable Crunches (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...ingCrunch.html). If you experience back pain during ab workouts, but not during lower back workouts, that usually means that your lower back is not strong/developped enough or you are using too muich weight. If you experience pain during both, you should consult a physician or take a break!

My abs aren't symmetrical!
Sorry, can't help you there! That's pure genetics.

Finally, I recommend that you read this article:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ice15.htm
It'll answer most, if not all your questions about abs.

[ComfortEagle]

Solid!!

[Chunk2212]

Fantastic post

[squatlover]

sticky-esque in my opinion.

[ando88]

bump.. sticky

[ahmet42taha]

BURN BELLY FAT!!!

*Unconventional workout ideas
*Taking the confusion out of healthy eating
*Nutrition tips for muscle building and fat loss
*Fitness motivation and a success mindset
*Healthy meals and recipes for a lean body
*Best ABS Workout

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