Abs How Many Reps? How often?

[ELCANADA]

I have always been confused with this and still have not found a straight answer. I just did another hours worth of searching and still just getting mixed opinions.

I train my abs once a week maybe twice if I am feeling like it. For the most part I end up doing them at home. I usually follow regular crunches, leg raises and non weighted exercises. I have been doing the P90x ab routine ( I hate the rest of the program but the abs section is not bad at all). Since they are non weighted for the most part I knock out hundreds of reps. By the time I am finished it begins to feel more like cardio session than weight training.

Now in the gym when I train abbs I tend to use more of the machines and equipment meant to target abs. Here I usually follow the usual 8-15 rep range and for the most part work to failure/burn.

How many times a week do you guys train abs? I hear some people compare them to calf muscle and say you can train both abs and calf multiple times a week…sounds more like bro science to me.

And what rep range do you guys use? Weighted or non?

Or do you skip them completely on the bases that squats, deads etc hit them enough?

I just feel that my abs are lacking and really want to bring them up.

[baza]

Over last 4-5 months I was doing abs every 4-5 days. Do them in about 5-10 mins.
I would train them like I do any other body part.
Heavy resistance, going something like 18 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps.
And do a couple exercises. Try and hit up high and down low.
Then every 3-4 weeks I'd do some general core work with higher reps, planks, ab wheel, etc.

A very large portion of abs are genetic. If I didn't train them, they'd still be very good. But since I added weighted cable crunches a few months ago, I saw huge changes in my abs.

[L3]

no visibe change will occur unless you lower your bf% as well

[MikeyFXD35]

^^ that is a big part of it, but abs are muscle like any other muscle. Would you train your chest 3 or 4 x's a week?

[tiramisu]

Abs, zero reps, never

[Born2Juice4Ever]

Abs, zero reps, never


You do not work your abs?



B2J

[Mr Ontario]

We all can't have abs like you unless your me :) does that make any sense lol :)


You do not work your abs?



B2J

[Born2Juice4Ever]

We all can't have abs like you unless your me :) does that make any sense lol :)

If I wanted to be you, it would be me who would be you....:popc

[JifeLacket]

If I wanted to be you, it would be me who would be you....:popc

I was thinking more along the lines of me being you, but while im you i may want to be Mr. O who would be you but i would be him so you would be me...



i do abs 2x per week, 8 different exercises super setting 2 at a time, 2x each exercise 12-20 rep range for complex movements, 50 reps weighted for crunches. I switch up the 8 exercises every couple weeks.

[Mr Ontario]

now were are talking some riddles lol where are the rimes lover boy :)


If I wanted to be you, it would be me who would be you....:popc

[petem]

Try training them 2x per week, but change up your exercise selection. Try to get away from crunches and work on various isometric type exercises

roll outs
planks
mountain climbers
palof press
cable chopps
hanging leg raises

pick 4 exercises, perform them like a super set, one after the other, and do as many reps or as long as you can for each exercise. Go through it 2-4 times.

[tiramisu]

You do not work your abs?
B2J

In my current lifting rotation (DC) I do deads, rack pulls, standing military press, squats, front squats, and t-bar rows.

These exercises work my abs and external obliques extremely effectively.
Accessory ab work overtrains my core and makes it harder for me to do my core lifts.

... and as an added bonus my abs are significantly stronger than the young boys who focus on arm curls and crunches.

[warlock]

If you want to get more visible abs:

2 or 3X a week

low reps

add weights to the exercise

lower bf

[BAM]

If you use weights, wont that give you a thicker side profile?

[JonnyO]

pre contest my ab routine was done after morning cardio every day, I'd just do some crunches, leg raises, cobra crunches, side cable crunches...not all of them but usually two exercises 3-4 sets of 20-25 reps. I'd also do back extensions in between ab sets.

Offseason I am just doing 3 sets of 25 of crunches then 3 sets of 12-15 reps reverse crunches this is usually 4 times a week or more.

[liquidfire]

4 days a week, anywhere between 2 and 8 sets of planks, situps, leg raises and oblique crunches.

I don't notice any visible difference by changing my ab training but doing logs of high rep endurance type stuff seems to really help my squat and deadlift.

[baza]

If you use weights, wont that give you a thicker side profile?

imo, tough to say. If you're lean enough, it doesn't really matter. I don't find mine looks any thicker.

[420]

When im pumping my gf i tighten up my abs and get a nice workout. no need for situps haha

[champcar99]

When im pumping my gf i tighten up my abs and get a nice workout. no need for situps haha

You think once every couple months is enough :moon

[theboss]

diet diet diet....
everyone has abs..its just whether or not you can see them

[faller]

I don't notice any visible difference by changing my ab training but doing logs of high rep endurance type stuff seems to really help my squat and deadlift.

And thats my main reason for getting back into doing them. I'm bad for that, never doing ab work that is, but i've started to notice that it does effect those lifts.... But i just HATE ab work!