question about abs..

[fitchick68]

I have been working out 6 days a week when my son told me that I might as well not work out my abs since I should lose the weight on my stomach first.

That does not make sense to me..is that true?

[Travis99]

That is absolutely true. You're only gonna see your abs if you have low body fat. Concentrate on your diet and nutrition if you want abs.

But... That's no reason to stop working them out. Once you get low bf you want them to look nice.

[cnh57811]

By that logic, don't workout anything until you are low bf%.

Continue training, op.

[fitchick68]

I am also doing a low carb diet along with IF but I thought I could workout my abs at the same time as everything else...looks like he was right...but I am not telling him..:P

[Schlangemann]

I am also doing a low carb diet along with IF but I thought I could workout my abs at the same time as everything else...looks like he was right...but I am not telling him..:P

Logic wins, yes you are right. Abs are like any other muscle and deserve to have some time put into them, a strong core has manifold benefits. You don't need to train them directly for them to look good though, all that requires is low bodyfat %.

[BigManMula]

That is absolutely true. You're only gonna see your abs if you have low body fat. Concentrate on your diet and nutrition if you want abs.

But... That's no reason to stop working them out. Once you get low bf you want them to look nice.

i disagree i dont have supper low bf and u can see my abs, work out ur abs as u lows the belly fat it makes it much easier. the bigger the muscle is the easier it is to be visible get it?

[koatliki]

I have been working out 6 days a week when my son told me that I might as well not work out my abs since I should lose the weight on my stomach first.

That does not make sense to me..is that true?

Your son is wrong. As cnh above said, by that logic, you shouldn't work out at all until you lose BF % and then start working out? Sounds retarded

Definitely, work out abs so you have something to show once you shed extra fat.

[weknow24]

That is absolutely true.

No it's not absolutely true. If you want to see your abs, you need to work them and lose bf% (the bigger your ab muscles get, the easier they are seen).

However, even if you're not going to lower ur bf% enough to see your abs, you don't want a weak core. Not training abs will give you a weak core. I know heaps of people who have moderate bf% with no visible abs, but work abs so they have a strong core. A weak core can lead to injuries, back problems, etc so train all your body!

[RRJ]

When I started, I couldn't see any of my muscles except forearms, shoulders and traps, so I guess I shouldn't have worked anything else out by your son's logic.

Work the abs. The question is whether or not you need ab isolation or if compounds are enough. I like doing both. But one way or another they should face progressive overload like all the rest.

[jubjubrsx]

imo its worth it to work your abs/stomach even with the fat there. my logic being when i started to work my abs at the same time my back started to feel stronger. my workout buddy who is a large guy with a beer gut has said the same thing.

[airdave]

your son has a phD in broscience

[Brucelats]

Workout your abs, but depending on your body fat on stomach it is possible no matter how big and strong abs u have they won't be seen. As belly fat will be covering them.

So logic is simple => You train your abs to keep your core strong and to be in training - also to make your abs bigger to a certain level of course, and then then reducing your body fat so they can be actually seen. They might be seen anyway, but less body fat leads to better look.

Also you can get your abs a bit bigger and defined while at same time losing fat, but that is limited and depend on your previous abs activity and size. If you are new to abs training and haven't exercised before => diet + abs exercise is way to go.

Just keep it up and don't forget dedication is everything. Workout daily, watch your food intake every time and results are guaranteed.

ONCE AGAIN ! DEDICATION !, without it, forget results.

[jdjprimer19]

Haven't worked my abs directly for a few years, and they are still visible at a low BF%. The core is overrated and the research in regards to core strength and performance is ambiguous.

[fitchick68]

Thank you everyone for your responses..

I have decided to just go on doing my crunches on my exercise ball..it will help in the long run I think to get my abs more toned for when the fat comes off..