I want a good ab workout, any ideas?

Jemshads

summer is almost here, and i would really like to have a nice body. i'm currently on a diet, which has really helped! i just dont know the right training. my goal is to have abs and i know it takes a long time to get a four-pack but i'm willing to do whatever it takes! any ideas of a good ab training (how many sit ups a day, how long, or how often?) or any other things i might be able to do besides sit ups?

the groutch

zero situps, regular cardio, and a clean diet

JJayoo

Stir the pot

fearcruach

Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. Clean diet (read the stickies on nutrition for information) and cardio.

You don't even need that much cardio, it's all diet. Your abs are there, you just need to uncover them by removing the fat.

Ab training (sit ups etc) will improve your core strength which is great but if your goal is to see them, then it's all diet.

john_cappa

fearcruach wrote: »

Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. Clean diet (read the stickies on nutrition for information) and cardio.

You don't even need that much cardio, it's all diet. Your abs are there, you just need to uncover them by removing the fat.

Ab training (sit ups etc) will improve your core strength which is great but if your goal is to see them, then it's all diet.

The kitchen is important but also is training your abs. Abs grow the same as an any muscle group and to have big and strong abs you need to train them directly and indirectly and also have low body fat.

Hanley

john_cappa wrote: »

The kitchen is important but also is training your abs. Abs grow the same as an any muscle group and to have big and strong abs you need to train them directly and indirectly and also have low body fat.

Stop being so sensible.

Only polarised opinions are allowed on the fitness forum.

whirlpool

I don't understand the obsession that seems to exist where people try to insist that having visible abs has nothing to do with building muscle. Where did this myth come from?

Obviously body fat has to be reduced. But the muscles also need to be built up.

It's NOT just about diet.

And abdominal exercises ARE important in the creation of visible abs.

SBWife

whirlpool wrote: »

I don't understand the obsession that seems to exist where people try to insist that having visible abs has nothing to do with building muscle. Where did this myth come from?

Obviously body fat has to be reduced. But the muscles also need to be built up.

It's NOT just about diet.

And abdominal exercises ARE important in the creation of visible abs.

But the OP asked how many sit ups he should be doing, the answer to that question is probably zero. Plank, crunches, obliques, v rises, burpees all will do more for abs than 100s of sit ups. Then diet and other training to get lean.

whirlpool

I was more referring to the above comments:

"Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. " - False. Abs are made in both the kitchen and the gym.

and

"Your abs are there, you just need to uncover them by removing the fat." - Yes your abs are there. All muscles "are there." The OP is looking to grow and strengthen his abs.


It's a myth - and a very commonly-spread myth at that - that training your abs is pointless.

I'm sick of reading suggestions - including in fitness publications - that "training your abs is a waste of time."

Training your abs is very much a requirement to achieve good and visible abs.

billyhead

whirlpool wrote: »

I was more referring to the above comments:

"Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. " - False. Abs are made in both the kitchen and the gym.

and

"Your abs are there, you just need to uncover them by removing the fat." - Yes your abs are there. All muscles "are there." The OP is looking to grow and strengthen his abs.


It's a myth - and a very commonly-spread myth at that - that training your abs is pointless.

I'm sick of reading suggestions - including in fitness publications - that "training your abs is a waste of time."

Training your abs is very much a requirement to achieve good and visible abs.

Thats true. Training you r mid section and core is vital but as others have said you ain't going to see and definition in the midriff if you don't lose the excess fat which can only be achived via a solid diet and good cardio program

whirlpool

billyhead wrote: »

Thats true. Training you r mid section and core is vital but as others have said you ain't going to see and definition in the midriff if you don't lose the excess fat which can only be achived via a solid diet and good cardio program

That is 100% true. I don't dispute that for a second. I dispute the denial the training your abs is a requirement - which is a very commonly-made claim.

Doug Cartel

whirlpool wrote: »

Training your abs is very much a requirement to achieve good and visible abs.

Not really. I dropped weight for a judo competition about a month ago and had a fairly decent six pack, and I never do any direct ab work.

UL_heart_throb

well in fairness judo guys do a lot of indirect abdominal/core work, so dropping a few kgs of fat and a few kgs of water will give most guys <90kg some abs.

n1ck

What has weight go to do with having a six-pack?

UL_heart_throb

body fat levels

n1ck

UL_heart_throb wrote: »

well in fairness judo guys do a lot of indirect abdominal/core work, so dropping a few kgs of fat and a few kgs of water will give most guys <90kg some abs.

UL_heart_throb wrote: »

body fat levels

Again i ask, what has overall weight of the person got to do with anything? 120kg, 110kg, 60kg, any of them could have a sixpack. I'm still curious as to whether you're a troll...

UL_heart_throb

because the guys over 90kg, Ceteris paribus usually would need to drop more than a 1-3kg and cut more than 1-3kg to get abs like.

Well the guys that are 75/76kg who cut to make 73 would have lower levels of body fat already.

my premise is guys in the 90+ weight categories have 20+% bf levels
and the guys in the <90kg weight categories have <20% bf levels so the smaller guys who drop 3 and cut 3 will be more ripped.

comprende?

again beastly 106kg guys who cut about 6kg to make <100 could be ripped as **** like that french kid

nice_guy80

cut out all junk from diet and limit carb intake

then do the following before all workouts

front plank hold 30 secs (get the body straight! and raise an arm or leg to increase difficulty)
side plank hold 30 secs (both sides)
leg raises x12
5kg russian twists x 20 (or do lumberjacks with 5kg plate)
swiss ball knife jack x 10

do three circuits of that

siochain

nice_guy80 wrote: »

cut out all junk from diet and limit carb intake

then do the following before all workouts

front plank hold 30 secs (get the body straight! and raise an arm or leg to increase difficulty)
side plank hold 30 secs (both sides)
leg raises x12
5kg russian twists x 20 (or do lumberjacks with 5kg plate)
swiss ball knife jack x 10

do three circuits of that

some good stuff there, I would add in squats, oly lifting and toes to bar. Doing ab work at the start or end of a work out for me would depend on what type of workout I'm doing, in most cases if I was going to do some direct ab work it would be at the end. I want to keep the abs fresh for stabilty and form when lifting.

meijin

UL_heart_throb wrote: »

my premise is guys in the 90+ weight categories have 20+% bf levels
and the guys in the <90kg weight categories have <20% bf levels so the smaller guys who drop 3 and cut 3 will be more ripped.

huh? :eek::eek::eek:

Scuba Ste

siochain wrote: »

some good stuff there, I would add in squats, oly lifting and toes to bar. Doing ab work at the start or end of a work out for me would depend on what type of workout I'm doing, in most cases if I was going to do some direct ab work it would be at the end. I want to keep the abs fresh for stabilty and form when lifting.

Oly lifting to get abs? I must be doing it wrong.

deadlybuzzman

UL_heart_throb wrote: »

my premise is guys in the 90+ weight categories have 20+% bf levels

comprende?

what about pudzianowski?
plus I got a 4 pack without any extra ab work-just didnt hit the spuds and chips as hard

Jarren

These are my favourite helpers:)

siochain

Scuba Ste wrote: »

Oly lifting to get abs? I must be doing it wrong.

Why so?