question about abs

[.sandstrom.]

i started working abs for the first time in like 6 months or so on wednesday and i was wondering how many times a week you should work them.

[bmy-]

2-3, with weight.

[.sandstrom.]

ok thanks, and yeah i used weight

[DorianJ]

Do more planks, keep the abs workout very short and without rests and you can train them daily even.

[DMB2012]

Do more planks, keep the abs workout very short and without rests and you can train them daily even.

Let me ask you this,

If i kept my workouts very short without rest could i

Squat everyday,
Bench everyday,
Deadlift everyday,
Powerclean everyday,
Press everyday,
Dumbell clean everyday,
etc.

...and still see gains.

[DorianJ]

Let me ask you this,

If i kept my workouts very short without rest could i

Squat everyday,
Bench everyday,
Deadlift everyday,
Powerclean everyday,
Press everyday,
Dumbell clean everyday,
etc.

...and still see gains.

As far as I know abs are the exception, they can be trained every day without overtraining (I know many ripped people who train them everyday) and they recover faster than other muscles. So as long as intensity is high and volume is low, you don't risk overtraining.
If volume is high then every day is not a good idea anymore.

[Adrenolin]

do handstand reverse leg raise abdominal crunches

[DMB2012]

As far as I know abs are the exception, they can be trained every day without overtraining (I know many ripped people who train them everyday) and they recover faster than other muscles. So as long as intensity is high and volume is low, you don't risk overtraining.
If volume is high then every day is not a good idea anymore.

And in-fact how are the abdominal muscles differnt from any other muscle.



You are wrong.

[kliddy]

I have read many other places that you can in-fact workout with them everyday. I have also read many other places as well that in-fact you shouldn't workout with them everyday. I would suggest 2-3 days just to be safe.

[DorianJ]

And in-fact how are the abdominal muscles differnt from any other muscle.

You are wrong.

They're ticker and larger than other muscles and recover quickly.
They're also already more conditioned by being activated whatever thing we do

[DMB2012]

They're ticker and larger than other muscles and recover quickly.
They're also already more conditioned by being activated whatever thing we do

*looks at abs*
*looks at arms*
*looks back at abs*

Well, my arms are a hell of a lot "thicker" than my abs.

*looks at abs*
*looks at legs*
*looks at abs again*

Well, wtf, I use these everyday. I think ill squat everyday for the next six months.

YEs, i am very much a douche-bag.

[DorianJ]

I have read many other places that you can in-fact workout with them everyday. I have also read many other places as well that in-fact you shouldn't workout with them everyday. I would suggest 2-3 days just to be safe.

If they hurt the next day give them rest.
If they don't hurt the next day train them.

I don't know why but I have read many times that abs recover at an amazing speed and need 12 hours at most to recover from a workout, unless the intensity and volume was really huge.

[DorianJ]

*looks at abs*
*looks at arms*
*looks back at abs*

Well, my arms are a hell of a lot "thicker" than my abs.

You can't see the abs by looking at them, you just see the surface.
Abs are a group of large and thick muscles that go deep into your middle section
and attach to no bones. Even describing them suggests there's something different
to them. I don't remember where but I read the speed of recovery of various muscles measured from a lab and abs had the fastest recovery of them all.

[StevenOfSteel]

As far as I know abs are the exception, they can be trained every day without overtraining (I know many ripped people who train them everyday) and they recover faster than other muscles. So as long as intensity is high and volume is low, you don't risk overtraining.
If volume is high then every day is not a good idea anymore.

Without intensity you won't stimulate muscle growth after a while. Why would you want to train them everyday?

OP, hit them hard 2x a week.

[DMB2012]

I once read that eating a fish taco will give you laser vision. I forget where i read that though.

[DorianJ]

I once read that eating a fish taco will give you laser vision. I forget where i read that though.

We should compared the arguments of those experts, trainers, studies saying to train them everyday and those who say to train them 2x a week and see which makes more sense.
I did read a study about recovery speed of different muscles but from reading so many articles and posts everyday I certainly don't remember the ref of that study.

[DMB2012]

We should compared the arguments of those experts, trainers, studies saying to train them everyday and those who say to train them 2x a week and see which makes more sense.
I did read a study about recovery speed of different muscles but from reading so many articles and posts everyday I certainly don't remember the ref of that study.

I concur, you cant really trust anything you read, im just saying from personal expeirence, the more rest you give your muscles the fast they will grow.

[DorianJ]

I concur, you cant really trust anything you read, im just saying from personal expeirence, the more rest you give your muscles the fast they will grow.

But abs are fast-twitch muscles so they actually grow more with less rest.
That's also the reason why they seem to recover from soreness just a couple of hours after the workout in spite of intensity. But if they hurt the next day as well I would skip them.

Because of their nature they also fatigue a lot more quickly compared to other muscles so it's hard to really working out them good in one training session, because pain and fatigue sets in a lot more sooner than they would in other muscles at the same intensity.

This sounds like a good compromise:

Many believe that the abdominals recover quickly, and can be worked out on most days, if not every lifting day. However, there should be at least a day of rest after low rep abdominal training, as with any other muscle group. I am going to suggest 2-3 days of high rep ab training per week, and 1-2 days of low rep training.

bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw67.htm

[jhbart]

Honestly, I would do a mix of the two. Do abs every other day but make sure on the days that you aren't directly working abs, that they are getting work from other compound exercises like squats.

I personally have worked them both every day and every other day and there seems to be pretty much no difference in terms of how my abs look (hard to tell in terms of strength). And weighted is good but I've seen the same results without weights w/ planks, leg raises, etc