The coveted six pack (of abs). Every guy wants them and every girl wants to see them. Who knew that abs were similar to breasts? People are willing to go to any lengths for a six pack. People use extreme diets and endless ab workouts. Should you really work abs everyday?
The abs are a symbol of success. They pay huge dividends for hardwork and dedication. The abs are a hard area to define. It may take a lengthy diet and an intense workout schedule to get there. The payoffs are a great body, stares at the beach, and a hot new girlfriend.
Some feel the more work you put in the better the results. Unfortunately, our bodies do not work that way. There is a necessary recovery period. This requires the muscle to be able to recover for over 24 hours after a workout (Note: research suggests that recovery be around 48 to 72 hours). So, it would not be ideal to work them daily.
Abs get worked in nearly every exercise. They are also working throughout most of the day. Much like the calves, they do work that goes unnoticed. It may seem like a good idea to work them as often as possible. However, the trick to nice abs is low bodyfat.
The more bodyfat you have the less your abs show. A lean person has a six pack regardless of how often they work abs. The lean person should work abs a few times per week to really make them stand out.
Abs are like any other muscle in that they do grow. They just grow outward which can create problems if you have high bodyfat. So, aim to reduce your bodyfat first. Abs should be worked at most every other day. However, the best approach is working them two to three times per week.
The abs are mainly considered slow twitch muscles. This means they require higher reps to get the best stimulation. Some heavy sets will still be worthwhile. Try to keep the ab workout somewhat simple. Thirty crunch variations is a good cycle of ab exercises. However, one workout does not need thirty variations. Choose up to five exercises that target the different ab regions.
Sample workout:
Crunch 2 sets 15 – 20 reps
Reverse crunch 2 sets 15 – 20 reps
Right side crunch 2 sets 15 – 20 reps
Left side crunch 2 sets 15 – 20 reps
Bicycle crunch 2 sets 15 – 20 reps
Note: No rest between exercises.
There is no need to work any muscle everyday. Our muscles need time to recover and not be constantly broken down. Your abs will show just keep the focus on your diet. Focus on the squeeze in each rep to really feel your abs work. Hit them hard and not too often!
