Is this a Myth??? Hope someone out there knows the truth

Does anyone know the best way to perform ab exercieses either 2-3 days a week or like 6 days a week. I am cutting but I want my abs to show more.
 
2-3 days a week, at most is better. If your muscles aren't allowed to rest, they won't grow. This is true of any muscle group (you wouldn't work your biceps 6 days a week, for example).
 
I was told once that its ok to do ur abs every day. Because its really like ur just getting them ripped unless your trying to get them really big. I guess it would depend on what your looking for.
 
Recovery time for abs is very low. Since the are small muscles, they only require a day to rest. If you are not doing weighted exercises feel free to do them everyday.
 
Toby...you got me on that one... Aren't all trained muscles sckeletal? We are not working out our tounge or eyelids are we :D

Besides I never said recovery is not important. 1 day of recovery for small muscles like your abs will suffice. If you are not going heavy with weights that is.

I am assuming the poster was refering to exercises like crunches/situps where muscles tears are rare. If you are going heavy with weight (i.e., cable crunches, ab machines) you may tear your abs and then you do need a couple days to recoop.
 
I thought I had read that because of some reason I can't remember, that you could exercise your abs every day, however when I consulted my 'bible', the "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" it also states that you should train your abs the same as any other bodypart.

"No one wants to increase the size of their abdominals, so bodybuilders perform their abdominal exercises with no additional weight. Occasionally they use a 10-pound dumbbell on a crunch or situp exercise, but for the most part all of the exercises are done using only bodyweight." - page 454

Well, it looks like I've learned something new, or at least modified what I thought was true...
 
The larger the muscle...the more recovery time you should give them (at least 3 days). Abs are concidered in the small muscle group. Large muscles are gluts, hams, quads, chest, and lats.
 
RoRoCo said:
Toby...you got me on that one... Aren't all trained muscles sckeletal? We are not working out our tounge or eyelids are we :D

Besides I never said recovery is not important. 1 day of recovery for small muscles like your abs will suffice. If you are not going heavy with weights that is.

I am assuming the poster was refering to exercises like crunches/situps where muscles tears are rare. If you are going heavy with weight (i.e., cable crunches, ab machines) you may tear your abs and then you do need a couple days to recoop.

yes all trained muscles are skeletal
therefore all trained muscles need recovery time
abs are no different
it is not the weight that causes the microtrauma in the abs - it is the slow pace and the controlof the movement
 
Back
Top