How many ab exercises per day

Do you work your abs differently from other muscles in your body, doing tons of reps and working them every day? If so, you're not alone. Too often, people work their abs every day without rest, hoping to burn the fat off with more exercise. However, your abdominal muscles are just like every other muscle in your body. So, you should train them the same way you would train your biceps or your chest.

That means strength training 2 to 3 times a week with rest in between and a variety of exercises to target different areas of the abs. Try dynamic moves that focus on core strength and involve your stabilizer muscles ; the muscles you use all day long to hold your body in place.

One of these is the plank. To do this move, get into a push-up position and hold it for as long as you can, keeping your belly tight and your body straight. You can do this move on your elbows, which is more challenging, or on your toes. The trick to training your abs is to realize that strength training is important to keep your core strong, but ab exercises aren't magic.

Incorporating ab exercises into a complete routine is the only way to the wonderful world of six-packs. And if you don't make it there, don't worry. Most of us probably don't have the genetic makeup for completely flat abs , especially women.

In the old days of fitness classes and videos, most of us probably did hundreds or more crunches and other ab exercises thinking that was the best way to work them. As mentioned already, your abs are like other muscles of your body.

You wouldn't do biceps curls, nor should you do crunches. The real key to strong abs is about quality, not quantity. To make strength gains with your abs, follow the same principles that apply everywhere else. This means you have to overload your muscles. The reason we feel the need to do so many reps is that we're not working them hard enough, usually because of improper form. If you have to do 50 or more crunches before you feel fatigued, slow down and concentrate on your technique and on having good form.

And don't forget that doing the same exercise over and over isn't always the best way to make progress. Your body gets used to exercises and, therefore, becomes more efficient at them. In fact, you don't have to do a single crunch to get a great ab workout. Do a variety of exercises to target your rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. Don't just think of your abs as a way to look great—that their purpose is to support your spine and help you have good posture.

If you need more difficult exercises, consider getting an exercise ball or try advanced ab exercises. When you watch television, it seems like the models, actors, and stars have fabulous bodies with lovely flat bellies, doesn't it?

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube! Q: How often should I train my abs? More Videos. Account My Account Sign Out. Begin in a push-up position with feet together on top of a ball and your hands on the floor, placed How do I perform a draw-in lying on my back? Begin by lying on your back, with your knees bent and keep your feet flat on the floor.

What are passive range of motion ROM exercises for the forearm and wrist? Gunning for a six-pack? Building your abs can help make it happen sooner and last longer. But only if you train your core with smart techniques! Here are mistakes to avoid and how to fix them. If you looked at this headline and asked, "Why would I want to grow my abs? For one, building the muscles of your abs helps them to be more visible at higher body-fat levels.

Just ask those offseason bodybuilders with visible abs at percent body fat! And when you do get down under 10 percent, those bricks you've built will really pop. But like building the rest of your body, there's a lot that can go wrong between "dreaming about it" and "seeing it in the mirror.

That forward-facing six-pack may be what you covet, but building truly defined abs demands a three-dimensional approach from all angles—and even from the inside.

A Better Way: Train all three groups with the best muscle-building ab exercises! The TVA is the most often neglected, even though it can help you keep a tighter, flatter stomach at any body-fat level. The abs contain a greater percentage of what are known as slow-twitch muscle fibers than other skeletal muscle groups.

However, fast-twitch fibers still make up almost half of your midsection musculature.