Abs - workout schedule

[jjangel]

Hi Everybody! I was posting with you back in Sept but due to a long term tennis elbow pblm I've been away since they trying to heal this thing w/o surgery. It appeared to have worked so I'm back online. Cant wait to get into working out again.

One of my questions is:

How many times a week should I be working my abs?

I've gone thru so many different schools of thought but never ever seem to work right. I just introduced a series of decline bench workouts so I hope this helps.
Thanks

[I_gonn_die]

Well as far as abs go...just crunches...no amount of crunches will get the 6 pack neway...u need to lose the fat that covers ur abs first, only then will ur 6 pack come though...gl

[scott1968s]

There are many schools of thought with abs. Some people treat them like any other muscle group and train them 1-2x a week. Others train them after every work out.

I prefer to train abs on Cardio days. I train them 2x a week (Tuesday and Sat.) after cardio. I stick to the basics 2 sets of crunchs x25, 2 sets of reverse crunchs x 20 and two sets of a twist crunch 10 on each side.

Hope this helps.

[Tuna Fish]

Hi Jjangel-

Depends on your goals... If you are trying to build thickness/size in the abs, then train them with weight resistance as you would any other muscle group (brief, intense, infrequently) and eat sufficient cals for growth.

OTOH, if you are looking for more endurance through your midsection (great if you are an active athlete) and are not concerned with muscular size, train at a higher volume and frequency, and in a higher rep range (50+ reps, 2 or more times/week).

If you are trying to rip up a bit, you'll need to drop your cals below maintenance levels, along with the training.

Again, eat and train according to your goals, and most importantly, stick to the plan until your goal is accomplished.

Good luck!
Tuna