# Ab workouts, heavy low reps or more reps with light weight?



## nickt916 (Sep 14, 2016)

i have been confused with this one for a while, and still am. Hoping you guys can help out. For example i do 25-30 crunch reps per set, maybe 3-4 sets. Sometimes on a machine i would do 50 reps for 3 sets. Im kind of all over the place. I mostly hear people do higher reps and never seen like 8-10 rep sets, is that because that doesnt work on abs or its to much stress on the core?

Cutting abs is mostly eating proper food, but would 8-10 or 12-15 more ideal for getting some size?


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## PillarofBalance (Sep 14, 2016)

Go heavy for hypertrophy.

Honestly though I think it's more about how you use them.  If you are a powerlifter than heavier stuff or better yet static work is best.

For a bodybuilder I think weighted work is good but in the 8 to 12 rep range.

Pretty sure Joliver does a dynamic ab day and max effort ab day.  Best of both worlds?


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## Joliver (Sep 14, 2016)

The only thing that grows on dynamic ab day is my umbilical hernia.  BEEFCAKE!!!


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## automatondan (Sep 14, 2016)

Hi there, I feel like this (abs training) is kind of relative to how intense your training is.... For instance, if you are doing crunches at home sitting on the floor or couch and doing 25-30 crunches per set is not going to be enough (most likely), but if you are doing them on a decline bench after weight training, they would be more effective... And it you were doing them on a decline bench while using resistance after training deadlifts or squats or other compound movements, they would have an even greater effect... If your desire is for your abs to  "pop" tho, diet is going to your key to success...


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## nickt916 (Sep 14, 2016)

Yes diet is like 90% of it, we all have abs, I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing and try to work on diet and see if it starts working for me


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## NbleSavage (Sep 14, 2016)

Honestly I've not done direct ab work since I stopped fighting competitively. My abs get PLENTY of stimulation during deads and squats and supplemental movements for those lifts.

if you've the time, I agree with PoB's take on rep ranges and load (its goal specific) but as mentioned diet will 'pop' yer abs sooner than a gazillion crunches will.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Sep 14, 2016)

I like heavy weighted movements to 3 to 5 sets to fail seems to work best for me . I also use the gymnastics rings to do some body weight stuff that really works well . I also love the good ole ab wheel it works great !


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## Milo (Sep 14, 2016)

I like ab whee and static holds. That's all I do for abs.


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## automatondan (Sep 14, 2016)

NbleSavage said:


> Honestly I've not done direct ab work since I stopped fighting competitively. My abs get PLENTY of stimulation during deads and squats and supplemental movements for those lifts.
> 
> if you've the time, I agree with PoB's take on rep ranges and load (its goal specific) but as mentioned diet will 'pop' yer abs sooner than a gazillion crunches will.



I agree with Savage here on ab work... When my diet is 100 %, is the ONLY time Ive had my abs "pop" and be a full six-pack. It didn't seem to matter how much ab work I did, I would never get a full six pack unless my diet was perfect. It took carb cycling and keep my carbs low to get the six pack look. After my diet was all dialed in, I actually stopped training my abs and kept the six pack for years. But as Savage said, I too did a ton of compund strength movements like deads and squatting, kettlebell swings, and martial arts training...


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## GotClen (Sep 15, 2016)

When I first got into body building I made it a point to train abs once a week (Sunday). Giant sets like maybe 4 or 5 exercises
back to back to back.  I would do 3 rounds in about 20 minutes and be done.  I would feel muscle soreness like any other well
trained body part for a few days.  So, I just stuck with that for a few years.  Sure I did crunches in the living room.  I just felt I built a thick ab wall from weight or with some sort of resistance involved in the ab workout. 

I think the guy doing sets of 50 or 100 is just alot of motion and not alot of contraction.  But thats just me.


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## snake (Sep 16, 2016)

3 Sets of 4 reps for abs and I'm done!


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## ToolSteel (Sep 16, 2016)

I train my abs to not move. Couldn't give a flyin **** how they look, as long as they hold the weight.


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## snake (Sep 16, 2016)

ToolSteel said:


> I train my abs to not move. Couldn't give a flyin **** how they look, as long as they hold the weight.



Spoken like a true power lifter!

Don't overlook what heavy movements like squat can do for your abs.


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## ECKSRATED (Sep 16, 2016)

I like my abs. And so does my wife. She likes rubbing them while I'm balls deep inside her.


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## nickt916 (Sep 17, 2016)

snake said:


> 3 Sets of 4 reps for abs and I'm done!



Why not just 12 sets of 1 lol jk.. Seems to be working for you, im scared to go to heavy cuz of lower back Probs. At one point I couldn't walk without pain and had to hunch over. Brushing teeth was a workout, a sneeze could put me on the ground , it was horrible lol ...


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## nickt916 (Sep 17, 2016)

ECKSRATED said:


> I like my abs. And so does my wife. She likes rubbing them while I'm balls deep inside her.



Lol we needed that info y??


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## Bro Bundy (Sep 17, 2016)

One ab at a time


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## nickt916 (Sep 17, 2016)

Here is my situation lol


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## nickt916 (Sep 17, 2016)

By the way I drive a big rig and sometimes eat whatever I can find, but I have been trying really hard to improve


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## PillarofBalance (Sep 17, 2016)

nickt916 said:


> Here is my situation lol
> 
> View attachment 3240





nickt916 said:


> By the way I drive a big rig and sometimes eat whatever I can find, but I have been trying really hard to improve



Yeah i'm gonna say let's not sweat the small stuff like ab training at this point and focus on developing strength and being active


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## automatondan (Sep 17, 2016)

Totally agree with Pillar dude. I know it may not seem possible with your driving schedule, but im sure if you try hard enough, you can set up some kind of system that works for you.


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## nickt916 (Sep 17, 2016)

trucker workout VLOGS??? lol


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## Rip (Sep 18, 2016)

If you do them right, 12-15 reps is all you need. 
I do 3 sets of 12 for upper, 3 for lower, and 3 for obliques.
Using resistance, good form, mind to muscle, peak contraction.
I go as heavy as I can for 12 reps.
When the abs are developed, you can work them isometrically.

To be honest, at this point, any more I don't even have to do them and they always look like I do a lot of abs. When I do them, I isolate them with resistance. 





nickt916 said:


> i have been confused with this one for a while, and still am. Hoping you guys can help out. For example i do 25-30 crunch reps per set, maybe 3-4 sets. Sometimes on a machine i would do 50 reps for 3 sets. Im kind of all over the place. I mostly hear people do higher reps and never seen like 8-10 rep sets, is that because that doesnt work on abs or its to much stress on the core?
> 
> Cutting abs is mostly eating proper food, but would 8-10 or 12-15 more ideal for getting some size?


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## Simbrilee (Sep 19, 2016)

find which works for you, one thing I found was too much heavy ab exercises will makes abs too thick


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## Rip (Sep 20, 2016)

Using resistance is the way to get the deep cuts. It's a muscle like any other muscle. It needs to be isolated, contracted (shortened), and responds to resistance. Over-training is possible. You only need to do them 2 or 3 times per week.


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## Bicepticon (Sep 24, 2016)

PillarofBalance said:


> Yeah i'm gonna say let's not sweat the small stuff like ab training at this point and focus on developing strength and being active



Many will concur with this!


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