Got into an argument about ABS...

[Life]

No, not antilock brakes.

Abdominal muscles.

My friend insists that doing high volume ab exercises are beneficial. Like... 50-75 crunches, or anything else that involves abs... she feels doing a lot of them is a "cardio" workout...

If I'm not mistaken is it not better to do weighted crunches at a much lower level of repetitions than just 100 regular crunches?

Or even doing deadlifts?

Please help set my friend straight... or if I'm wrong, please put me in my place.

I know diet + cardio is the key for abs and overall tone of body, and she knows this too, but it's just the argument about how to work the abs that started getting into a heated discussion.

[CF-OC_gal]

I think you friend better read up on the true definition of cardiovascular training! It involves pushing your heart rate up to gain the benefits of training your heart muscle to be stronger. Usually this means moving your whole body such as running, swimming, biking jogging stair climbing, rowing etc. Anything that gets your heart pumping in the 65-85% max range.

I've worn a heart rate monitor throughout the circuit training I was doing last month. Ab crunches did nothing to change my heart rate even after 36 reps. As a matter of fact it would drop. Meanwhile doing fast bodyweight squats or pushups or lunges or jump-squats for high repetition was a really good way to raise the heart rate.

Cardio for good abs does not mean doing targeted ab exercises. It is doing exercises as I described above in order that body fat levels lower.

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by Life

No, not antilock brakes.

Abdominal muscles.

My friend insists that doing high volume ab exercises are beneficial. Like... 50-75 crunches, or anything else that involves abs... she feels doing a lot of them is a "cardio" workout...

If I'm not mistaken is it not better to do weighted crunches at a much lower level of repetitions than just 100 regular crunches?

Or even doing deadlifts?

Please help set my friend straight... or if I'm wrong, please put me in my place.

I know diet + cardio is the key for abs and overall tone of body, and she knows this too, but it's just the argument about how to work the abs that started getting into a heated discussion.

Lol train the abs like any other muscles and i hope the deadlift comment is a joke. You're not going to get anywhere repping 100 pds 100 times.

The only time when such high reps are needed are for conditioning/endurance purposes, not for gaining muscle mass.

[Cort]

Originally Posted by DaRkAnGel

i hope the deadlift comment is a joke. You're not going to get anywhere repping 100 pds 100 times.

He meant that deadlifts also hit your abs better than doing 100 crunches, he didn't say anything about doing 100 deadlifts

[Life]

Originally Posted by Cort

He meant that deadlifts also hit your abs better than doing 100 crunches, he didn't say anything about doing 100 deadlifts

yeah, cort's right, i didn't mean it that way...

[Life]

Originally Posted by Brat

I think you friend better read up on the true definition of cardiovascular training! It involves pushing your heart rate up to gain the benefits of training your heart muscle to be stronger. Usually this means moving your whole body such as running, swimming, biking jogging stair climbing, rowing etc. Anything that gets your heart pumping in the 65-85% max range.

I've worn a heart rate monitor throughout the circuit training I was doing last month. Ab crunches did nothing to change my heart rate even after 36 reps. As a matter of fact it would drop. Meanwhile doing fast bodyweight squats or pushups or lunges or jump-squats for high repetition was a really good way to raise the heart rate.

Cardio for good abs does not mean doing targeted ab exercises. It is doing exercises as I described above in order that body fat levels lower.

Thanks Brat! :

Now at least I have more valid statements to throw in!

[fawn]

Originally Posted by Cort

He meant that deadlifts also hit your abs better than doing 100 crunches, he didn't say anything about doing 100 deadlifts

how do u work your abs with deadlifts? When i do deadlifts, i don't think i'm working my abs

[Cort]

Originally Posted by fawn

how do u work your abs with deadlifts? When i do deadlifts, i don't think i'm working my abs

Deadlifts and squats both work your abs and lower back. Just keeping your body straight while holding that much weight.

[cursor]

ANY exercise that requires strong mid-section support will stimulate growth. The heavier exercises, or exercises that manilpulate the weight at some distance from your core, require greater stability. As a single example, I do lying triceps extensions with a loaded z-bar. Around my ankles I wear leg weights for counter-balance. After the bar is lowered to just beyond the top of my head, it's pulled forward to a position about 30º short of vertical. Depending on the weights involved, my abdominals muscles can very definitely be recruited.

Performing crunches with out adequate resistance to stimulate growth is about as effective as trying to develop your biceps by curling 5# dumbbells.

[Larry red]

abs..........

You must remember everyone has an opinion, I do two sets of 50 ab crunches before every workout. One to warm my core up and two to get them done first, so I don't have to do them at the end.
What works for one might not work for the other person. No my I don't get my cardio from the crunches, but the big numbers work the muscle, I have the stack set on 60 pounds.
But on the other hand, has anyone ever heard of a hundred rep routine? If you want a change in your workout, do a hundred reps for one bodypart per workout, you will grow muscle you never thought about.
Most of the time we quit around 3 or 4 sets 8 to 15 reps and think we have worked. Well next time take one muscle group, say chest, use a low weight and do ten sets of ten with it. Wow, wait and see what happens. Do a different muscle each workout.
If your friend wants to do a hundred crunches let her, you must support each other, for are you not there to workout and change your body, with help it might happen faster.
Thank you...................