ABS: sets , reps or weight?

[meera]

The abs are a strange breed. They can stand an amazing amount of punishment during one workout yet come back for more after a short period of rest. that's because the abs are a rapidly oxygenating muscle group. Okday in English, that means that they quickly recover after a set and are ready for more work in a very short period of time. Most muscle groups take much longer to come back to a place of normal. Lactic acid sets in and you're wrecked for a least 2-3 mintues.

But the abs are different. After being subjected to a gut-burning giant set, they can recover within 60 seconds and be ready to go again. Why? Becasue they have the capacity to rapidly clear away the lactic acid and oxygenate that area again. This may be due to their unique structure or to the fact that they are located in the torso, closer to the heart than any other muscle group. But no matter the reason, they tend to respond to high intensity training.

Of course, there isn't any finite answers to what type of stimulus is most effective when it comes to working the abs. Individuals respond differently to a change in stimulus, whether it is based in the amount of weight used, or in the number of sets and reps performed. However, knowing when to employ these variables is what is crucial to success.

SETS
While abdominal muscles may re-oxygenate rapidly, individuals vary in terms of pain and stress threshold, and set tally must vary person to person.

Generally speaking, there are some steadfast rules to using sets as a variable toward making strides in ab development. Number one, forget what you head about "less is more". Once you're become accustomed to the fatigue that produces, bump the number of sets up again, and so on. The key to using sets as a basis for progress is to create as much overall stress to the muscle as possible, in between several brief rest periods. Understand that more sets can only help your cause, as the ab muscles can withstand exertion over a long period of time. Another way to utilize set number is to work supersets and giant sets into your routine. Since the abs are rapidly re-oxygenating muscles, this non-stop action can be just what's needed to take this muscle group to the next level. The only real rest sustained between sets is the amount of time required to move from one station, or position to the next.

Altering set schemes is also a good idea from the standpoint that the abs, like any muscle group prone to stubbornness, can become accustomed to the same workload overtime. Making sure tha tyou continually play with the amount of sets included in our workout is a great way to monitor progress dependent upon workload.

REPS
Many people believe that the abs should be trained like any other muscle group you want to grow. Believing that the abs should be trained with heavy weight, these people reason that the abs, and every other muscle group, respond only to heavy stimulus. But, looking at the abs, it's clear that they respond more to unusual influence, than usual impact. The fact of the matter is, without a high rep scheme, the intensity in your abdominal routine would wane.

Executing high rep sets takes a lot of energy and easily drains the average person. High reps with a varying light and heavy weight workout can also benefit this reticent muscle group and stimulate change. The point is, doing high reps will at least allow you the possibility of adding quick burst intensity into your workouts, whereas addings sets is more of a game of stamina.

WEIGHT
Using weight as a tool for growth and change is a great idea when utilizing certain exercises. Exercises such as rope crunches are best done with heavy weight. One thing most people forget is the fact that the abs don't develop like other muscle groups. They couldn't possibly, they have nowhere to go! Even the best developed set of abdominals can only sustain so much thickness in terms of the depth of the actual muscle itself. Using weight can enhance intensity because it no longer is necessary to add more sets and reps at that point. It alleviates the need to lengthen the workout in any way. And that's anothre plus for most people less time in the gym doing countless reps of gut wrenching crunches. Using heavy weight also means you can stick to a circuit of machines or use a rope attachment for kneeling crunches as a mainstay for your routine that day. This alleviates the need to map out a lot of secondary crunches for your workout, which takes extra time to plan and execute. Knowing that a machine will take care of your needs because you're working with weight as a variable can sometimes be a comfort.

VERDICT
Overall, there isn't one variable that suits the abs better than another. In fact, utilizing all three on a rotational basis is a way to ensure your abs don't become stagnate and out of shape. You may have been able to knowck out 100 sit-ups on your bedroom floor as a 15 year old, and it was enough, but you may need to take a bit more scientific approach if you expect to really work those abs to their potential today.

Use high reps for high intensity, scorching workouts (low reps are not effective for the abs). Add a greater number of sets into the mix on occasion and challenge your abs to a test of endurance. Add additional weight, or utilize only those exercises requiring weight, and you may discover that your abs become sharper for the slight increase in density. But no matter which variable you choose, remember, it's not just one or the other, it's the synergy between these elements that can make your ab workouts a greater success.

Source: Body Fitness - Dec 2005

[kovalaybolt17]

what i do is like 90 crunches, then about 120 bicycle kicks, and 25 reverse crunches.. with no rest and my abs are burning like hell.

[El_Torro]

Interesting post. Thx.

I just tend to work mine 3-4x a week, no real variation, but if I could do it another way might free up some time... Hmm...

[alow]

so does this mean that working out my abs everyday, even twice isnt bad?

[three-m]

Originally Posted by alow

so does this mean that working out my abs everyday, even twice isnt bad?

probably not it is alomost impossible to overtrain abs

i just do 4 sets of 20 crunches a day w/ a 10lb medicine ball and each week i ad another 1 or 2 to each set and as soon as i get to 30 i up the weight and go back sets of 20
ocassionally i will hit the oblique machine or do leg lifts as well just to mix it up
3m

[TRAZ]

You can overtrain abs it is just harder to do than most muscles. I would only recommend training them 3x a week max. I have seen the best results when only training them very intensely 2x a week.

[three-m]

Originally Posted by TRAZ

You can overtrain abs it is just harder to do than most muscles. I would only recommend training them 3x a week max. I have seen the best results when only training them very intensely 2x a week.

really that's interesting i never heard of overtraining abs and mine keep getting stronger and keep coming back for more
you think i am over training them
3m

[TRAZ]

If it is working for you then by all means continue. I have heard that you can train them up to 3x a week, but more than that may overtrain them. I personally used to train mine 5x a week and when I switched over to 2x a week got much better results. This is just based on personal experience and the general opinion of several people on this board.

[three-m]

Originally Posted by TRAZ

If it is working for you then by all means continue. I have heard that you can train them up to 3x a week, but more than that may overtrain them. I personally used to train mine 5x a week and when I switched over to 2x a week got much better results. This is just based on personal experience and the general opinion of several people on this board.

hmmm fair enough perhaps I'll cut back a bit but before i can i need to loose about 10 more pounds because as of now i could do 1000 crunches and never see any results!
3m

[z-man]

i train my abs usually about 3x a week i also follow it up with alot of cardio usually about a half our our so to cut the calories off and burn the fat. also try cutting down on the sugar intake and sat fats you may see better results

[three-m]

Originally Posted by z-man

i train my abs usually about 3x a week i also follow it up with alot of cardio usually about a half our our so to cut the calories off and burn the fat. also try cutting down on the sugar intake and sat fats you may see better results

no sugar problems no cardio problems here is a quick summary of diet and cardio:

walk 2 miles/day 5 times a week
20 min of cardio 5 times a week either stairs or eliptical

i am only eating oatmeal, eggs,chicken , apples, bananas, vegaetables, chicken,salad, soup,and some red meat and fish and no more than 1 glass of wine a week and no more then 3-4 beers a week

no potatoes no white bread no pop no fast food nothing fried, i think i have the diet dialed in for now

perhaps i'll just do 1 or 2 less reps of crunches and 5 more minutes of cardio
thanks
3m

[z-man]

sounds like you have a really good diet. the thing about abs is that when you work them out every day they are getting stronger with no time to recover. give it a day or so for them to rest up then push them out when its time to train that way they can build up. plus i would try working out each section every time you train ie: upper-crunches, lower-leg lifts, sides-bends or twists, and your lower back something to that nature, it helps just so your not focusing on a certain area every time you train

[three-m]

Originally Posted by z-man

sounds like you have a really good diet. the thing about abs is that when you work them out every day they are getting stronger with no time to recover. give it a day or so for them to rest up then push them out when its time to train that way they can build up. plus i would try working out each section every time you train ie: upper-crunches, lower-leg lifts, sides-bends or twists, and your lower back something to that nature, it helps just so your not focusing on a certain area every time you train

right on z-man I'll keep everyone posted on my progress
thanks
3m

[z-man]

definitley good luck