Thread: abs?

how often can you work your abs? should you do it every day or is it best to have a rest period? are crunches still ok?

Yes, crunches are still OK, although I think situps on a stability ball are the trend these days.

The last study I saw said that old-fashioned full-on situps (tuck your feet under the sofa and roll all the way up & back down) acutally work the full abs better than crunches or situps on a stability ball -- but the full-on situp is less popular because if your abs aren't really strong it can be hard on your back.

Popular workout wisdom is that it's OK to work your abs every day -- although truthfully I've never understood why, they're made of the same muscle tissue as the rest of the body., Some trainers like you to rest them and work them no more than every other day.

There are a lot of exercises that work your core that aren't crunches. Squats - true squats, 90 degrees or close. Plank holds. Pushups. Pullups. So you can mix those in with whatever other ab work you enjoy. I also really love this one for lower abs, so important for bellydancers: flutter kicks:

Lie on your back with your hands beneath your lower back, palms flat to floor. Raise your legs at a slight angle - the lower they are, the harder this is, so don't bring them up too high. Keep them straight. Scissor your legs 4x per count. I like to keep my toes pointed and legs slightly turned out from the hip.

You can also try prone jacknifes on a ball. Those are tough!

- Leela

Best not to work abs everyday. All muscle groups need a rest period to rebuild tissue.

Different types of abdominal exercises work the different muscle parts. Best also to vary your abdominal workout (with specific ab exercises or core exercises) to affect all muscles.

The best ab workout in my opinion is dance - not just any dance, but Latin dance like salsa or merenge. The Cuban motion of the hip area tones like crazy. There are a few videos out in the market that help motivate. 15-20 minutes a day at most of hard core dancing with lots of waist/hip movement should tone you up nicely.

I've heard that you should do abs exercises about three times a week. However, if you truly want to see muscle definition, you must lose the fat that is covering the stomach. I guess lots and lots of cardio for that.

I work my abs every time I go to the gym, which is every other day. I do crunches on a half ball, then a full ball, and planks. Both side planks with a leg raised and front planks, bringing my alternating knees to my chest

I had the best abs when I worked them every day for about half an hour. Britney style :)
I never noticed they got any better with resting days. But nor did muscles any other part of the body.
Generally I wished I still had the time to dedicate 1,5 to 2 hours to sports every day. I miss those highschool and college years :)

If you want to work your muscles every day, make sure you have the stamina for it. Ballerinas and professional athletes work their muscles every day for ten to twelve hours a day but their muscles are toned to withstand that much pressure.

I would do serious ab workouts three to four times a week, depending on how serious a six-pack you want, and start with doing maybe ten full sit ups twice a day on the off days. This will help your body to adapt to a fuller exercise regimen.

Another thing is that there are different muscle groups in your abs. Try exercises on alternating days that work these groups separately so that no one muscle will be tired and overworked all the time.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Originally Posted by Amaryllis

The best ab workout in my opinion is dance - not just any dance, but Latin dance like salsa or merenge. The Cuban motion of the hip area tones like crazy. There are a few videos out in the market that help motivate.

any recommendations?

Originally Posted by dancingstar

any recommendations?

Not yet released, but WDNY will release a solo-salsa instructional in autumn!

A few pilates classes a week are also great for toning the abs.

One Ab workout I like is Exhale Core Fusion. I only have the total body workout, but the AB section is tough. My abs are pretty strong, but the ab section on this DVD has exercises I've never seen before and my abs scream for mercy- in a good way. If you want to see more definition, you'll have to lose the fat on top of your abs and one good way to do that is cardio. Anyway, I really like this DVD and am working on my cardio so hopefully I'll get more definition soon.

For me, Pilates and belly dance works wonders, along with occasional walks with my husband.

I have killer abs...underneath my fat!

I love Ab Ripper X from P90X. That + regular "core-engaged" dancing + sensible diet works well for me.

Originally Posted by anala

I have killer abs...underneath my fat!

LOL! +1!

Originally Posted by bellybellygood

One Ab workout I like is Exhale Core Fusion. I only have the total body workout, but the AB section is tough. My abs are pretty strong, but the ab section on this DVD has exercises I've never seen before and my abs scream for mercy- in a good way. If you want to see more definition, you'll have to lose the fat on top of your abs and one good way to do that is cardio. Anyway, I really like this DVD and am working on my cardio so hopefully I'll get more definition soon.

I have that one! Good little dvd that one, the butt workout is also good


Just walking about engages your abs. Since everyone here is a dancer of whatever level, you will be working your abs.

Folks need to consider are they looking for, definition in their abs? Functional strength? Endurance? Each target will have a different path.

Originally Posted by anala

I have killer abs...underneath my fat!

Same here. I'm just waiting for the next ice age to kick in and all the skinny follk will be wishing they had my storage.