How often should you exercise to get six pack abs?
Despite the fact that Michelle Obama’s arms have sent women to the weight room in droves, the promise of a flat belly is still arguably one of the top reasons that both men and women hit the gym. But for all of the interest, the countless infomercials and truckloads of creative products there is still quite a bit of confusion about training the abdominal muscles. Exercisers are left with basic questions. How often is ab work necessary? How many reps should I do?
The American Council on Exercise recommends that exercisers do not train the abdominal muscles every day. “You should treat your abdominal muscles like any other muscle group, which means you shouldn’t train them every day. Your abdominals, like all of your other muscle groups, need recovery time between workouts.” ACEfitness.com goes on to recommend that “10 to 25 repetitions for one to three sets of abdominal exercises provide a more than adequate training stimulus. If you can perform more than 25 repetitions of an abdominal exercise, you are most likely performing the repetitions too rapidly or with improper form.”
But whether or not this recommended number of abdominal exercises will actually contour a tight torso depends on a number of factors, including genetics and body type. Many strong, fit exercisers tend to carry body fat in the midsection, which means that no matter how many ab curls they do, they might not get the abdominal definition that yields a real six pack effect. Alternately, a naturally lean person who does not work out may have a flat belly, but little or no abdominal strength or definition.
Aesthetics aside, there are many reasons to strengthen all of the muscles of the torso, including the abdominals. Having a strong, flexible midsection can help prevent back pain and injury. For more information on core strength training read “Skip the abdominal crunches says The New York Times”
