so how much ab work should i actually do?

[jpcomp]

I work my abs directly bout every 3 days.
When i do i do 10-15 hanging leg raises, then immediately grab a 10lb weight and do 10-15 crunches then immediately do the same with sit ups.
then i immediately do more hanging leg raises, then do 2 more sets of each crunches and and sit ups with a 25lb weight.
I'm of course workin on bumpin up the weight.
when i 1st started training abs they would be sore the next day.
it hasnt really done that like talk about in awhile, even though i'm gettin a good burn during my workout.

[liftTENhard]

abs r made in the kitchen /thread

[BackwoodsFiero]

^^From his pics it doesn't look like "visibility" is the issue. OP, if you're actually looking to add mass, it depends on what the rest of your routine looks like. If heavy compound exercises are a regular part of your routine, you might be overtraining abs by doing specific ab exercises 3 times a week. Cut back to once a week for isolation and keep hitting the squats and DL's.

[jpcomp]

^^From his pics it doesn't look like "visibility" is the issue. OP, if you're actually looking to add mass, it depends on what the rest of your routine looks like. If heavy compound exercises are a regular part of your routine, you might be overtraining abs by doing specific ab exercises 3 times a week. Cut back to once a week for isolation and keep hitting the squats and DL's.

ok thanks backwoods.
Do you have any comments/tips on my direct ab training?

[Scotlad]

i agree with the kitchen thing

and i like to work on hanging leg raises, planks, bridges, woodchops

[FloydSummerOf68]

Yes, ab visibility is made in the kitchen, but how they look once you see them has a lot to do with how you work them.

A well built set of abs looks a lot better than a skinny kid who happens to have a 6 pack because he doesn't eat enough.

[ELITE28]

Yes, ab visibility is made in the kitchen, but how they look once you see them has a lot to do with how you work them.

A well built set of abs looks a lot better than a skinny kid who happens to have a 6 pack because he doesn't eat enough.

^
This.

Focus on a clean bulk. Stick to mostly compound exercises, isolation can be used to bring up lagging body parts.

[ZoranM]

abs r made in the kitchen /thread

You don't get to end threads.

Especially with stupid cliches that are wrong.

[Protege385]

Do em once a week on leg day. Make sure you squat and deadlift as well and you'll be fine.

[fantasticmike]

yes in the kitchen is a huge part of it.
you don't need to keep doing different exercises immediately after one another.
do 4 sets focusing on certain part of your abs then work the other parts either after of on a different day. do abs 2 or 3 times a week.. every other day. they have to rest also

[ProPT]

Only ab exercises i do these days involve lifting the legs

[fantasticmike]

Only ab exercises i do these days involve lifting the legs

that doesn't work the top much at all

[Leiot]

that doesn't work the top much at all

Excercises like pike-ups or v-ups would work the upper as well, but I agree that simple hanging leg-raises seem to be mostly the lower 4.

OP, Some people seem to get great abs just from heavy compounds, others seem to take a lot more. Your abs look pretty well developed, why not just continue what you've been doing? With progression of course.

[jpcomp]

You don't get to end threads.

Especially with stupid cliches that are wrong.

LMAO

Excercises like pike-ups or v-ups would work the upper as well, but I agree that simple hanging leg-raises seem to be mostly the lower 4.

OP, Some people seem to get great abs just from heavy compounds, others seem to take a lot more. Your abs look pretty well developed, why not just continue what you've been doing? With progression of course.

'preciate it man. yea i've been making decent progress with my current ab routine and was more or less asking if my routine is intense enough or if i should add in extra sets/exercises?
When i 1st started abs they would get sore for a couple/few days. Now they rarely even get sore anymore, despite the fact i've been bumping up the weight. is this normal?

[dougielee]

sounds like you really are doing plenty with your abs man an as long as u keep giving them 3 days rest then your not going to be over training them... just remember that you are working them when you do your compound movements as well so really, your abs should be getting used everyday you train, and yes what you eat plays a massive role when it comes to seeing your abs. good luck bro

[Frosty23]

The exercises you are doing are so limited. The best thing you can do is type in 'ab exercises' in google and try some new ones. There are so many great ones e.g. Floor Wipers, you just need to mix them up all of the time. You probably dont ache that much because your body will get used to the ab exercises you are doing over and over.

[Scotlad]

I thought the abdominis rectus was 1 muscle

It would be interesting to know how you can work the top and bottom seperately

Please do explain someone

[dougielee]

I thought the abdominis rectus was 1 muscle

It would be interesting to know how you can work the top and bottom seperately

Please do explain someone

to give a quick example, ab crunch with work your higher abs, were a reverse crunch will work your lower abs.. u could also do pull up to work your hole upper body including your high abs and throw in some knee raises to target your lower abs... then some Russian twists for your obliques

[uflcook]

to give a quick example, ab crunch with work your higher abs, were a reverse crunch will work your lower abs.. u could also do pull up to work your hole upper body including your high abs and throw in some knee raises to target your lower abs... then some Russian twists for your obliques

The abs are a single muscle but some exercises focus more on the upper or lower parts, plus its not a bad thing to hit the muscle in different ways.

I usually superset cable crunches with leg raises, or db leg raises for weighted work.
For unweighted I usually tri-set dragon kicks, frog kicks, and leg raises.

[pearldrummer]

I am pretty small still but I haven't worked abs directly in months and I have a pretty good 6-pack. I do heavy deadlifts and squats every week. Also over head presses and some other lifts hit the core pretty hard.

When I do ab stuff I normally do a minute of sit-ups, a minute of flutter kicks, and minute of russian twists, and a minute of the ones where you raise your legs straight up until you are on your upper back. I do two rounds of that. Then I do planks, r/l planks, and Rockie sit-ups. I do two sets of those. I used to do that once a week and then once a week I did decline sit-ups with two 25 pound plates on my chest, three sets of those. Hanging knee raises from a pull-up bar, three sets.

My abs look the same if not better than when I was doing ab excercises.

[ZoranM]

I thought the abdominis rectus was 1 muscle

It would be interesting to know how you can work the top and bottom seperately

Please do explain someone

No it wouldn't be interesting. It would be boring, again. Use a search button

[Scotlad]

yes it wouldnt be interesting because you cant work 1 muscle seperately lol

what do they teach you people

you should find out how muscles work

[DMI_Blaze]

Doesn't matter what you do, your still working the ab region as a whole. Can put a little more emphasis on one part or another. But over all, that simple cable crunch hit it all.

[ZoranM]

you should find out how muscles work

Why don't you save me a lot of reading time, and explain to me? You're here to help after all aren't you?

[Scotlad]

what did you tell me again

'use a search button'

[ZoranM]

what did you tell me again

'use a search button'

I tried, there's no good info. Please? Pretty please? How do muscles work?

[b0ngman]

do this in reverse.... use a smith machine with a bench pulled up parallel to the bar if ur gym doesnt have this piece of equip

dont understand why more people dont do this... static ab exercisees are the best and this one is extremely effective... i can do 3 sets 3 times a week and fully reach my potential for core strength

[jpcomp]

do this in reverse.... use a smith machine with a bench pulled up parallel to the bar if ur gym doesnt have this piece of equip

dont understand why more people dont do this... static ab exercisees are the best and this one is extremely effective... i can do 3 sets 3 times a week and fully reach my potential for core strength

that looks pretty gangsta bongman.
how would I do that at home?
I have a bench but cant think of somewhere to put my legs like that

[jpcomp]

that looks pretty gangsta bongman.
how would I do that at home?
I have a bench but cant think of somewhere to put my legs like that

nvm i figured something out.
got a great burn!