i want killer abs

[wildchild]

how often should i work my abs i know they get bigger while they repair from the excersise so i dont wanna over do it because it wont give them time to grow so how often should i work them?

 

[Double]

3times/week

 

[stevey_2000]

every two or three days and make sure you stay off the fatty food too , you need a b/f of about 8-12% to get abs

crunches are the best technique for abs, situps are too strenious for the back,

go get em...

 

[wildchild]

last time i checked about 8 month ago i was 6 % fat

 

[wildchild]

last time i checked about 8 month ago i was 6 % fat im prolly healthier than a weight watchers meal.

 

[MindOverMatter]

6% is near impossible to achieve without dehydration. what method did you use to measure this?

anyway man, abs are really easy to get, if you have low bodyfat 8-12%, they will show. three times a week with enough rest inbetween the workouts is a good way to do it.

my personal routine is

4x 15 sets of pulsing crunches (done slowly)
4x 25 sets of reverse crunches (done slowly)
4x 25, 15, 10, 5 of machine crunches (i would increase resistance every set)

here are some pics of what i've gotten with that routine:

this one is from november 2004: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/mishob/sleazy pics/nov_2004.jpg

these are from december: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/mishob/sleazy pics/pic02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/mishob/sleazy pics/Picture157.jpg

oh and this is my overall routine:

mon - chest & tris
tue - abs + forearms
wed - back and abs
thu - abs + forearms
fri - quads & calves
sat - abs + forearms
sun - traps & delts

 

[Alpine]

I don't know what this exercise is called but it really works the whole mid section.

Lay face up holding a weight straight up in your hands. Without using your arms stand up. Then get down again.

Try it without a weight at first then graduate to a weight you can do it only 3 or 4 times.

Pick a barbell up with one hand as if like a suitcase. You will want the weight racked at abou 12" off the ground. Keep the body as straight as possible.

You can build big poundages on this.

With these keep reps low, for size do a fair few sets but not to failure on each set. Strength without the bulk, just do 2-3 sets of each.

 

[wildchild]

**** man you got gr8 ****in abs! i used a machine that mesures your actualy weight and your body fat, I went thro a peroid of stress for no perticular reason and lost 2 stone in weight - i was 10 stone and went down to 8 now im up at over nine since giving up smoking and going to the gym ( im about 5ft 9 - 5ft 10).Honestly man i have no fat at all on my body im a skinny ****er but i have some muscle now.

 

[wildchild]

this week ive been at the gym every day nearly cos ive been off work wen im at work i cant manage cos my long shifts.

This week i done

Sunday chest and abs
monday biceps and abs
tuesday legs and abs
wednesday back and abs
tommorow i will do shoulders
and friday take a break
saturday i will do chest a triceps
and sunday will do biceps and abs

back to work on monday

 

[wildchild]

my new ab routine is

3 x 30 non weighted situps
4 crunches with a 40k(machine thing)
60 different types of leg ups.

 

[7 Virtues]

Work them the same you'd work any other muscle group, and cut fat.

 

[Jariel]

MindoverMatter: Do you follow a low calorie diet to maintain your bodyfat %? Do you eat protein or drink protein shakes after workouts?

Damn impressive physique by the way and an inspiration to us all!

 

[AFK Protector]

MindOverMatter: Same question for you as Jariel.

also, by "sets" do you mean "reps?" Because 25 sets seem like a lot. And what is a "pulsing crunch?" I coudln't find it on exrx.net

And not to be a homosexual or anything, but if I were a girl I'd jump you.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Hey guys

My daily calorie intake is usually around 5000, sometimes more, sometimes less. The thing is, I also train in muay thai on the side, so that takes care of the excess fat and helps me maintain a clean bulk. I'll usually go to the gym very early in the morning, and do muay thai late at night. Yes I do eat lots of protein. I usually supplement whey protein in the morning, after a workout, after muay thai, and before sleep (4 scoops a day)

Yes the 25 was the number of reps, sorry for the typo. the reverse crunches are 4x25reps, the main thing is to do them slowly.

The pulsing crunch is this (demonstrated by Abdominator from bodybuilding forums): http://www.skippypodar.net/Fitness/AbDemo-Final/pulses.wmv by the way that's just 1 rep in the vid, I do 15 of them / set.

 

[Jariel]

Thanks for the info Mindovermatter - it's appreciated!

 

[AFK Protector]

I love how MindOverMatter just like...rejected me.

JUST PLAYING!!

Seriously though, few people have the dedication you have that resulted in a great bod. I'm going to work and hopefully look good someday. Thanks for the reply.

 

[line_in_the_sand]

Great abs?

Easy!

Train them once a week with weights. 2 sets of crunches, put a dumbbell on your chest, do 12 reps pr set with a TRUE 6 second negative. Increase the weight every week, boom, you have great abs! Doesn't get easier, and nothing works better.

Oh, and of course, you need to have low bodyfat to have them show. My abs are now showing at 14% because of my heavy ass training, before that, I needed to get down below 10%. Abs are no different than any other muscle. The general rule of all muscles is: Increase your weights with good form every week, eat loads of protein (no less than 1.5 grams pr pound), do some cardio for health and fat loss and keep your carbs in check...and there you are, lean and muscular. Make sure fat is high when carbs are low, by the way.

Don't overanalyze this fellas. It's damn easy! Keep it simple!

 

[tibbetts]

The first thing you want to remember when you train you abs is that just like your upper body or lower body, your abs need rest. So you want to train them every other day and give them a day of rest. If you do not do this...you are not allowing the muscles to repair themselves, thus over training. Overtraining muscles does not promote muscle growth so therefore, your ab muscles will not grow. Also a cardio program should be maintained if you have excess body fat. You can train cardio everyday so running or any type of movements for at least 20 minutes a day will work fine. Ok..so here is a sample routine that we use in our classes and some that I have came up with on my own. This works best if you are already warmed up and its really effective after a short cardio workout (5 minutes).

1. Start out by laying flat on your back and crossing your right arm over your chest and touch your left shoulder. Make sure your legs are flat on the ground. Concentrate on raising your right shoulder off the ground about 3 to 4 inches. Make sure and go very slow so you get a good burn in the upper right side of your abs. Do 20 reps then go do step 2.

2. Stay in the same position and bend your left knee. Then cross your right foot over your left knee and put your right hand behind your head. You want to concentrate on bringing your right elbow to your right knee. This will really pound your mid abs on your right side. Do 20 reps and then move on.

3. Keep your left leg bent and then straighten out your right leg. Keep your right hand behind your head. Just like you did in step 1, you want to raise up off the ground about 3 to 4 inches, but at the same time, you will raise up your right leg off the ground about the same distance of 3 to 4 inches. 20 reps. Do this at the same time together to really work that lower right side of the abs. After you complete step 3, switch sides and do the same 3 steps for the left side, then progress to step 4.

4. About now you should have massive blood flow to your abs which is a good thing. I am sure that everybody knows what a bicycle is, but I am still going to explain it. Place your hands behind your head and bend both knees evenly. You want to lift up your left knee and bring your right elbow up to meet it. Release and then bring your right knee to your left elbow. Do this for 1 minute in a slow and controlled manner. This is not about speed, it is about control. Move to step 5.

5. Now lets switch directions and lay flat on the ground with your legs extended and arms extended above your head. Raise your arms and your legs about 3 inches off the ground and hold it there for 1 minute. After a minute passes, bring your arms and your legs all the way up and let them meet in the air. Do this for 20 reps. After that, extend them back out and hold them again 3 inches off the ground for 1 minute. Step 6 is next.

6. Now you want to move on to kick outs. Sit halfway up and place your hands behind your with your fingers facing towards your feet. Raise your feet off the ground and find your balance. You will have to vary between leaning back and placing your hands in the right place. After you find your balance, kick out your legs by extending them all the way out and then bringing your knees to your chest. You want to kinda bring your upper body forward as your knees are coming to your chest. Do this in a slightly faster pace and vary between holding out your legs for 10 seconds every 30 seconds or so. Do this for 2 minutes. Finally the last step.

7. At this point I hope that you are about to die, but we are not done yet. Go back to steps 1-3 and do them again. Make sure and stretch out well and drink plenty of water. This pounding routine should be done every other day for best results. Do it everyday and you are screwing yourself. I hope that you will be sore after trying it. If you are very well conditioned and can hack more...try adding some of your own varations to it as well and remember...varation is the key to great abs. Take care.

I got that from a forum. try it.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Seriously though, few people have the dedication you have that resulted in a great bod. I'm going to work and hopefully look good someday. Thanks for the reply.

It's easy bro! Once you get your bodyfat low to like 9-10%, execrise properly and eat enough protein / don't overtrain, you will gain mass fast. The reason I say have a low bodyfat first is because you will be able to see all your results as you improve, instead of not seeing them due to a layer of fat and being discouraged.

Another reason I say cut first before ever bulking is because most people will bulk properly, but cut improperly, and lose a lot of their gains. At the beginning, when you're still new to itall, it's best to do a clean bulk.

Other then that, the best advice I can give you is, don't worry about what your body looks like, and instead focus on your strength. Try to lift more and more every week. Make goals about how much you can lift, and break them. Focus on getting stronger first, and the body will follow.

 

[line_in_the_sand]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
It's easy bro! Once you get your bodyfat low to like 9-10%, execrise properly and eat enough protein / don't overtrain, you will gain mass fast. The reason I say have a low bodyfat first is because you will be able to see all your results as you improve, instead of not seeing them due to a layer of fat and being discouraged.

Another reason I say cut first before ever bulking is because most people will bulk properly, but cut improperly, and lose a lot of their gains. At the beginning, when you're still new to itall, it's best to do a clean bulk.

Other then that, the best advice I can give you is, don't worry about what your body looks like, and instead focus on your strength. Try to lift more and more every week. Make goals about how much you can lift, and break them. Focus on getting stronger first, and the body will follow.

Exactly! Thank you!

And is I stated above, low carbs is the best way to get your body fat down and to keep it low when you start bulking again.