I would say that abdominal training is hands down the most popular topic in fitness — from people wanting to know the secrets to a sleek midsection to experts advising on the best way to train the abs and everything in between.
There is a lot of information on the topic. in this two-part column, I’ll address the basics, trends and advancements in abdominal training.
Ab training 101
The abdominal muscles are comprised of the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and a pair each of internal and external obliques.
The abs can be worked from different angles in an attempt to isolate regions, but understand you can never truly isolate one muscle from another — they work synergistically.
Therefore, it’s beneficial to include multiple abdominal exercises from differing angles and with varying ranges of motion.
It’s important to work all areas of the midsection equally, to create balance not only within the midsection, but also throughout your entire body.
When to Train the Abs
If ab exercises usually become an afterthought in your training, try working them at the beginning of your workout.
This guarantees that you’ll do it, can act as a warm-up for the rest of the workout, and they’re fresh, so you can work them with greater effort.
Training them at the end of a workout is good, too, but the odds of neglect might be higher at that point. try working them into your program at different intervals or during rest periods.
This approach allows more ab work because there are longer active rest periods between bouts.
Finally, how about making those idle hours more productive?
Most ab exercises can be done anywhere; watching TV, or a 10-minute break in the middle of the day. It doesn’t have to be done during structured workouts.
Training Frequency
Abs are like any muscle, they need to be stimulated then rested in order to recover.
Working them three-four times per week is plenty. If they’re sore from the previous workout, give them more recovery time.
Keep in mind that your abs are postural muscles and are getting worked in almost all your other training movements.
Repetition
Like all muscles, the abs need different weights and repetitions.
High reps and low weight results in endurance strength, and low reps with heavy weight, results in growth. It is very important to concentrate on form and proper execution to fully develop your mid-section.
Twenty-five repetitions will help build endurance strength, and a gradual progression to as low as eight reps with weights will build depth and size.
Regardless of reps or weight used, perfect form is mandatory.
The abs are essential for posture and are activated in nearly all human movement, so ab training needs to be more comprehensive than a few crunches here and there. But these basics are the foundation to any routine.
Next time I’ll explore some more advanced ideas for the pursuit of that sleek midsection.
Romagna is an instructor in the Department of Health, Wellness and Recreation at the University of Dubuque, and owner of Natural Fit inc. Contact Jim at fit@jimromagna.com.
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