How often you train your abdominals is based on the inverse relationship of intensity
and volume. The harder you train your abs, the more rest they need. The less intense
you train your abs, the more frequently you can train them! If your goal is rehab
or injury prevention, then you will be able to train them often with more frequent
and lower loads. If your goal is to make your abs more muscular and dense, then
a higher load and less frequency would be ideal. If your goal is maintenance, then
a medium load and frequency would be ideal. Refer to this table:
Purpose
|
Frequency
|
Intensity
|
Volume
|
Reps
|
Injury Prevention
|
5-7x a week
|
Low
|
1-4 sets
|
20-30
|
Hypertrophy
|
4x a week
|
High
|
6-12 sets
|
8-12
|
Maintenance
|
2-3x a week
|
Medium
|
3-6 sets
|
10-20
|
If building a sexy six-pack is on your 'to do' list for 2008, then start training
abdominals 2-4x a week. I will teach you in a moment how to split your abdominals
up into two different days based on movement.
Divide Your Abdominals Into Two Separate Workouts
To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement
patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:
• Truck Flexion (upper abs)
• Hip Flexion (lower abs)
• Rotation (obliques)
• Lateral Flexion (obliques)
The majority of books and articles you have read revolve the bulk of the ab exercises
around trunk flexion that is better known as 'upper ab' exercises. A full sit up
is a perfect example of this.
Bill Starr in his 1976 classic 'The Strongest Shall Survive' wrote that the abdominals
"...can be strengthened in a wide variety of ways. Sit-ups of all types, leg
raises, truck rotation movements all involve the abdominal muscles to a different
degree..."
I wouldn't be surprised if the abdominal program you are following right now is
based on one movement - trunk flexion. I am guessing that your primary goal is actually
to have a well-defined and sculpted six-pack, so I have provided a sample abdominal
program to break it up into a four day program:
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
Trunk Flexion
|
Rotation
|
Trunk Flexion
|
Rotation
|
Hip Flexion
|
Lateral Flexion
|
Hip Flexion
|
Lateral Flexion
|
Even though you are training each movement twice per week, you will perform different
exercises for each workout.
Use A Variety Of Functional Exercises
The Top 3 Hip Flexion Exercises:
- Lying Hip Raise
- Incline Hip Raise
- Hanging Hip Raise
The Top 3 Trunk Flexion Exercises:
- Swiss Ball Crunch
- Weighted Swiss Ball CruncH
- Weighted Cable Crunches
The Top 3 Rotation Exercises:
- Russian Twist
- Weighted Russian Twist
- Weighted Cable Crossover
The Top 3 Lateral Flexion Exercises:
- Lateral Flexion on back extension machine
- Lateral Flexion with medicine ball over head
- Lateral Flexion with medicine ball and twist
Each of these exercises progresses from basic to intermediate to advanced. I suggest
you master the first exercise of each before commencing to the next.
Conclusion
You now have all the tools and resources you require to start building a set of
eye-popping abdominals. Customize your own abdominal workout and post it in the
Article Comments Forum for others to compare and learn from.