Ab Training Question
Here’s a great question I received from a reader about whether he’s really working his abdominal muscles optimally. The original email is in italics, my reply is below.
About a month ago, I started doing ab workouts. Since then, I have tried a variety of exercises and have shaved it down to a routine. The reason I am e-mailing is because I have a question over the effectiveness of my workouts. During the workouts, I feel all the normal stress and fatigue as is expected, but, literally 5 minutes after, I feel fine and not sore at all. Is this a problem? Right now, my exercise is this:
30 slow crunches
12 leg raises (flat back, knees bent; lift feet off ground and slightly get the butt off the floor, then lower)
12 side crunches (obliques) (both sides) 24 total
12 bicycle crunches (both sides) 24 total
All of those immediately follow one another, I take a 30 second rest and repeat it 5 times.
Then, after the x5, I do the plank (or bridge) for 30 seconds 2 times.
I do this everyday and have gotten to the point where I just do not feel sore anymore. Any advice?
If it helps, (I don’t know if this matters) I am 18 years old, 6′1″, 150 lbs.
Thank you,
Jack
My reply:
Hi Jack,
It’s normal to recover a few minutes after a workout. The goal with resistance training (including abdominal training) is short, intense workouts that break down muscle and cause it to rebuild when you recover.
The workout you’re doing looks quite effective for abdominal endurance – it’d be useful for physical activities like sports and martial arts.
However if you’re training for visible abdominal development (the “six pack”) the training you’re doing should be a few sets of intense work, two to three times per week.
Here’s an example of a good routine to develop your six-pack:
4 sets of weighted crunches – add weight by holding a 5lb plate or dumbell behind your neck, and increase the weight every week. Aim for burnout at 10-12 reps. Rest 1-2 minutes between each set.
3 sets of leg raises (10-12 reps). Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
4 sets of side crunches – 2 sets per side, 10-12 reps. 1-2 minutes rest.
If you have a chinup bar I’d replace the leg raises with hanging leg lifts, which are much more taxing. The main exercise here is the weighted crunches. That’s what’s really going to develop your abs. If you add a few lbs each week, and do the crunches with slow, controlled form, you’ll see great progress I’d say do this workout two or three times per week.
Also, remember that abdominal training only develops abdominal muscle…it doesn’t remove abdominal fat. You need an effective weight loss diet and regular cardiovascular exercise to shed bodyfat.
Hope that helps. It’s a great question, and with your permission I’d like to post it on the blog, along with my answer. I’ll remove your email and just use your first name if you like.
Thanks for writing,
Rich