Toning the Abs question...
- Thread starter MisLegend
- Start date
48 hours is the max reovery time. Pilates and yoga do count and they should be spaced out about every 24 hours. They push your muscles too. Let the muscles rest before doing another session. But you do not need 48 hours of recovery.
I think that the fact that needs to be addressed 1st is that "toning" is a made up word used by buisnesses to make money.
There is no such thing as toning from a training point of view.
There are only 4 types of training.
- building muscle
- improving fittness
- loosing weight
- skill (sport specific, i.e. hand/eye, reflex)
Toning comes from building muscle and reducing fat. which means you need two diffrent exercises. for example...
If you want to tone your arms, you have to lift heavy weights and then follow a weight reducing diet and burn fat with CV.
LYNN - "48 hours is the max reovery time"
what are you talking about? If you are a noobie and you heavy squat for the first time your gonna need 3-7days to fully recover.
Even pro bodybuilders take 3 days between muscle groups.
Lynn, this is not the 1st time you have givven out potentialy harmfull information. Over working muscles can cause knots and increase the risk of pulling and straining, which inactive people may take years to recover from.
Legend - Strech every day, when your muscles stop hurting then your ready, not before.
"If in doubt, Leave it out"
Unless your a pro ahtlete missing a days training is not gonna cause to any problems.
There is no such thing as toning from a training point of view.
There are only 4 types of training.
- building muscle
- improving fittness
- loosing weight
- skill (sport specific, i.e. hand/eye, reflex)
Toning comes from building muscle and reducing fat. which means you need two diffrent exercises. for example...
If you want to tone your arms, you have to lift heavy weights and then follow a weight reducing diet and burn fat with CV.
LYNN - "48 hours is the max reovery time"
what are you talking about? If you are a noobie and you heavy squat for the first time your gonna need 3-7days to fully recover.
Even pro bodybuilders take 3 days between muscle groups.
Lynn, this is not the 1st time you have givven out potentialy harmfull information. Over working muscles can cause knots and increase the risk of pulling and straining, which inactive people may take years to recover from.
Legend - Strech every day, when your muscles stop hurting then your ready, not before.
"If in doubt, Leave it out"
Unless your a pro ahtlete missing a days training is not gonna cause to any problems.
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mate, i don't mean to undermine you, but its toning, not tonning.
sorry to be a pedant, but it doesnt help your arguement very much.
sorry to be a pedant, but it doesnt help your arguement very much.
Hi, ManofKent.
I am going to hope that your post was in a nice tone. Let me start by saying I agree with you that toning is a word that really is made up. HOWEVER, many, many women use that word and they know exactly what it means.
We know what we are looking for when we want to tone.
Your next comment about recovery time... I was not aware this is a bodybuilding board. I have seen many many people ask for general advice. A recovery time of 48 hours is absolutely a great recommendation. And to be quite honest... the original poster talks about Pilates and Yoga. So her question HAD NOTHING to do with heavy squats or bodybuilding.
But yes I agree with you... in some instances there is a required recovery period longer than 48 hours.
If you have an issue with some of my advice, please let me know through PM. I am always willing to learn and am always willing to hear others views. I simply dedicate my time to this forum board almost every single day of the week because I enjoy its friendly atmosphere of people helping each other.
I am going to hope that your post was in a nice tone. Let me start by saying I agree with you that toning is a word that really is made up. HOWEVER, many, many women use that word and they know exactly what it means.
We know what we are looking for when we want to tone.
Your next comment about recovery time... I was not aware this is a bodybuilding board. I have seen many many people ask for general advice. A recovery time of 48 hours is absolutely a great recommendation. And to be quite honest... the original poster talks about Pilates and Yoga. So her question HAD NOTHING to do with heavy squats or bodybuilding.
But yes I agree with you... in some instances there is a required recovery period longer than 48 hours.
If you have an issue with some of my advice, please let me know through PM. I am always willing to learn and am always willing to hear others views. I simply dedicate my time to this forum board almost every single day of the week because I enjoy its friendly atmosphere of people helping each other.
Here's my input: 
Abs recover faster than most muscles, so they can be worked more often. I would recommend twice a week anyway. More often probably won't hurt, but you won't benefit more from it either. The actual gains (changes like muscle growth) occur outside the gym on rest days, not in it.
Anyway, here's the ab workout i do twice a week, in case you want to try something new.
Weighted Jack-Knife Situps
2 Sets of 8 - 12 reps
Weighted Incline Situp or Crunch
2 Sets X 8 - 12 Reps
Start without weight. When you can do 12 good reps for all 4 sets, start adding weight.
Abs recover faster than most muscles, so they can be worked more often. I would recommend twice a week anyway. More often probably won't hurt, but you won't benefit more from it either. The actual gains (changes like muscle growth) occur outside the gym on rest days, not in it.
Anyway, here's the ab workout i do twice a week, in case you want to try something new.
Weighted Jack-Knife Situps
2 Sets of 8 - 12 reps
Weighted Incline Situp or Crunch
2 Sets X 8 - 12 Reps
Start without weight. When you can do 12 good reps for all 4 sets, start adding weight.
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Alastor said:
do you have a refference for that information? or is it "your own experiance"?
people think that abs take less time to heal, thats a common mistake due to the fact that people dont work them as hard as other muscles.
If you work your abs to the same state as your other muscles, they will heal just as quickly as any other large muscle.
The fastest healing muscles are the smallest, your rectus abdominis can be 2 feet long, so it really is not a fast healing muscle.