How Often Should You Work Your Abs?
by admin · Filed Under: Fitness Tips
One of your fellow BeachWalk Family Fitness members recently asked the question, “How often should I work my abs?“ I recorded a video, which reveals the answer to this question as well as some very key issues that you must be aware of when it comes to achieving great abs, plus, my Top 6 Abs Exercises!
Here’s some key points about working your abs…
The most important point to clear up is that it doesn’t matter how many abs exercises you do or how often you work them, if they are covered with a layer of fat, you’ll never see them.
The way to remove the fat around your belly is to create a caloric deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn on a daily basis. It’s as simple as that. There’s no magic bullet.
It’s difficult for some people to grasp the idea that abs exercises really have very little to do with developing 6 pack abs. That’s why I recommend that they should only make up a small portion of your overall workout program. I’d rather see you doing more squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and presses.
The benefits of working your abs are not really noticed until your body fat percentage is low. If you have been working your abs they will pop out more and create deeper ridges, than if you weren’t working your abs. If you work your abs and build them up, you may actually begin to see them a little sooner as you drop your body fat percentage down… but the difference won’t be significant.
The key to this is to work your abs with greater resistance instead of cranking out 1000 reps of crunches or sit-ups. For the most part I recommend that you choose a resistance that allows you to perform 8-10 reps, and mix in a few sets of 15 reps.
In the video I demonstrated my 6 favorite abs exercises, most of which incorporate higher resistance and fewer reps…
Cable Crunches
Leg Raises
Stability Ball Sit-Ups
2 Dumbbell Twists
1 Dumbbell Twist
Planks
How Often Should You Work Your Abs?
My recommendation is twice per week. Here’s a routine that you could use…
Exercise Rest
Cable Crunch 0
1 Dumbbell Twist 0
Plank 0
After performing all three exercises you can now rest for 60 seconds and repeat for two more rounds. You can perform the above workout on Monday and the following one on Thursday…
Exercise Rest
Leg/Knee Raises 0
2 Dumbbell Twist 0
Stability Ball Sit-Ups 0
I hope that this video and article helps bring you closer to achieving a flatter stomach and 6 pack abs if that’s what you desire.
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask. Also, if you missed some of our responses to previous questions from BeachWalk Family Fitness members, please check out these articles and videos…
How To Sculpt Your Arms
Is a Protein Shake Good For Me?
To achieving your limitless potential,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant is a Certified Personal Trainer and a graduate of The University of Windsor’s Human Kinetics Program with Honors in Movement Science ‘99. He’s a published fitness author who has been featured in magazines, on television and on radio.
Scott has been helping busy men and women, just like you, transform their body and life for over a decade. His programs have been used by people in over 70 countries including his latest program ROCK That Body, which was recorded here at BeachWalk Fitness.
