how often should abs be worked
 

I've been doing some reading and still had some questions how often should the abs and obliques be worked. Some say that it is better to cut all the fat out before actually training the abs suposedly if you work them out and you are fat you make it harder for them to show. Just wanted to hear your opinons on how much is too much for the abs. I would also like to hear what has worked best in the past i.e what exercises thanks

lol.. I have never heard that one.. Look at some of these elite powerlifters, or even bodybuilders in the off season. Many can have the outlines of their abs still visable, at a higher bodyfat, because they carry a tremendous amount of muscle mass.


I work abs like anything else. Weighted/heavy. I also don't over train them, they need rest like any other muscle. Don't forget your abs are getting worked on things like squats, deadlifts, etc.

I do lower abs on one of my training days, and upper on another.

I like decline weighted sit-ups, weighted hanging leg lifts, and 1 or two ab machines, that I feel I can go heavy on.

This is my opinion on the subject, and what works for me.

If you are fat you simply cannot see them. However the ab's are used in amlost every type of lift. Having a strong core is extremely important to being physically fit. Even if you dont work them they will get worked on due to the fact they are used so frequently in day to day activity.

Think of it this way, if you build them now, you will have more muscle by the time you get to cutting. Vs cutting and THEN building them. that takes 3 cycles vs 2. Also not to mention the higher weight in muscle mass = higher idle calorie consumption. The more muscle you have, the more you need to maintain your idle body weight. So cutting can be easier with more muscle mass.

When i was pretty active i would intake 4-5k calories a day and gain 0lb on a weekly avg.

work your abs 2 to 3 times a week and most important loose all the fat you can otherwise you are going to built fat and not be able to see those coveted packs

thanks for the input. I guess ill just work them out like any other group

2 times a week for me. Upper and lower one day and obliques on the other day.

i only work them out 1 time a week .. sometimes if i have time twice.. i do very heavy abs lifts.. never do more than 15 reps. ever.

I wish I could have pushed my abs harder when i used to lift. 2 bulging disks ftl :( Even with perfect form it was extremely painful. Damn I need to get back on the bench.

You're telling me! kypho-scoliosis and a few other spinal problems here :\

^ouch

must suck to work out with back problems..

cant really get those heavy compound lifts :/

You said it god damnit!!! 2-3 yrs of natural lifting dedication without squats, cleans all those!
Tons of other stuff that is off the list that I had to find out my own way.


.... Lots of pain just sitting/standing anytime. BUUUUT without heavy resistance I feel empty inside.


So now I work out against doctors advice haha.

Best way to just burn fat?
Cardio? Just straight up treadmill do the trick?

if you want to feel like a weak pussy go take a pilades class with a bunch of old women. lol, abs looking good though....

Diet, is first and foremost the most important part.

Cardio comes down to a matter of preference. Some people prefer HIIT, some prefer low intensity steady state(LISS) cardio, etc.

I would probably start out with 30 min 3-4 times a week, incline walking on the treadmill(above 3.0 speed) at a fairly high incline, without holding on. From there you can add a day or two of HIIT, or increase the duration of the low intensity, it is really up to you, and how your progress is going.

I'm doing LISS at the moment, steady 7.0 jog for a 1.5miles then turn into HITT at a 10.0 for about 2minutes then slow down for about 1minute.

As for the diet, I want to get cut..I'm at 175lb. I heard I'm supposed to take in about 3kcalories a day..does that seem about right? My diet restricts me from eating that much, I take in about half maybe 2k at most.

Am I dieting the wrong way for the route I want to take?

^^ make sure to spread your meals out thru the day . dont take in a certain amount of calories all at once than starve your self .

I would do the HIIT more like a 15sec 100% sprint, followed by a 45sec jog/walk. Use something like the elliptical or bike, as it is easier to change speeds, quickly. Repeat that 15 or so times.

As for diet. It is hard to say how many calories to start at exactly. Age, activity level, metabolism, weight, etc. All come into consideration.

Anytime I start a diet, I start calories on the high side, atleast for the first few weeks. This gives your metabolism time to "reset", and lets you make sure you are not starting too low. Depending on what happens after the first couple of weeks, I will adjust calories from there.

You can try and start at 3k calories, and then make any adjustments, based on your results.

I am playing around with the exact opposite approach. I never thought I would, but after doing some research on "Intermittent fasting" and seeing first hand experiences with it, from people who I trust, I decided to give it a try.

Let me pre-face this, with it goes against everything I have ever believed in..lol But I am always up for trying new things, in order to learn as much as I can about diet and nutrition.

Basically I fast all day, with just 1-2 small meals consisting of a small amount of greek yogurt, or protein powder, with some berries, or other low GI fruit. Then at night, after a 16-20hr fast, eating one large meal, containing the majority of my calories for the day(2-2500 calories).

The large meal is very flexable. I basically eat whatever I want. Usually a large salad, 1lb of chicken, steak, or pork, with white rice, pasta, potato, etc. But a triple meat chipotle burito, or panda express, is not uncommon.

Eating like this takes a lot of the stress out of eating. You are not worried about getting in all these meals, bringing all this food every where you go. Weighing out all these meals, etc.

Pre, intra, and post workout I consume BCAA's. And have lost little to no muscle, depsite doing a TON of intense cardio, and not lifting but 1 day a week.

I have been doing this for around a month now, and am having surprisingly good results thus far. I am going to keep experimenting with it for a while.

Can read more about it here.


and also google "warrior diet" as it is a similar concept.


Additionally, there was research done by Layne Norton(natural body builder), which suggests fewer large meals, may infact be more beneficial then more, spread out, smaller feedings.

i really like the warrior diet. i just read up on it looks sick. i'm gonna buy the book to learn more.

That is more or less what I am following, with some modifications, to help gain/maintain muscle.

i mostly had questions on the site you linked with the testimonial of the kid who cut down. he said he was consuming 15g eaa or 10g i can't remember. but i mostly wanna know what to do to get that 15 or 10g before a workout. just supps? or is there a food that would be better than another. that's i guess why i need to buy the book.

right now i basically eat an apple, work out, then drink my protien shake. eat small meals throughout the day and one slightly larger one around 6pm. problem is i'm only at about 1500 calories. finding more calories is going to be tough for me, i'm not a picky eater but i have always ate sparingly.

we're totally off topic but i think this is helpful information for the OP

You want to take BCAA or EAA in the form of a supplement, because they are free form.

There are MANY products, that provide BCAA or EAA's, from bulk powder to flavored versions containing other ingredients.

Here are some of the more popular options:

Flavored BCAA products:
I have been using this for my BCAA supplement latley. I like the high concentraiton of Leucine, and that it mixes clear.





Bulk powder BCAA(unflavored):



I like this for a bulk product, as it is instatized, and produced by Ajinomoto so it is of the highest quality.


EAA Supplements(flavored)




Bulk EAA(unflavored)

wow, why complicate things, get your protein in and count calories!!! calories in vs calories out.

Anyone use any type of thermogenic to help get rid of that "layer"?
Was looking into those, but if they're show any signs of muscle loss or anything like that I'll steer clear.

I am not a huge fan of stimulants, but that is a personal preference.

I have heard nothing but good things about this stack, which doesn't over due CNS stimulants, like most fat burners.


Or you could run something like one of these products, that boosts thyroid hormones.

personally that shit scares me lol.

What's that? Things that mess with the thyroid?

yeah, i just don't like any of those chemicals, i've read some bad stuff about them.

then just have caffine with asprin in the morn. I lost 105lbs and didn't need to "stimulants" just dedication and consistency.

Caffeine is a stimulant..lol

Congrats on the massive weight loss, that is something to be proud of.

That said, I am not sure what your bodyfat is currently, but losing fat from a super high bodyfat, to for example 15% bodyfat, is MUCH different then going from 15% to say 6%. For most people, unless genetically predisposed to be lean, it becomes a fight to get down deep into the single digits.

A quality fat burner can help someone with that task. It shouldn't be a replacement for diet, consistency, or dedication, however.