Going crazy on ab training! How much is too much?

[frorider6]

Ever have an exercise or muscle group that you HATE to work? I can't stand working my abs. And mostly I didn't work them all that hard because I was genetically prone to having low bodyfat and a 6 pack. Well, it's time to start training abs hard now. I have to get in a mindset where I get excited about training. I have to tell myself over and over that I'm pumped to do this exercise and I can't wait to do it and I'm a quitter if I take it easy.

It's the same mindset I had to take when I got serious about squatting and when I adopted deadlifts for the first time. Both are now among my favorite exercises.

I've been mostly just doing a couple of sets of situps here and there after training. Now, I'm doing INTENSE ab training on MWF after my workouts.

Friday was 5 sets of incline full situps (no crunches) and 5 sets of leg raises. All done to complete failure. The leg raises were done on the incline ab board. With my hands holding a bar above my head, laying on an incline ab board, legs about parallel with the floor, I brought my legs as high as I could while keeping my ass on the board, then rolled my hips up using my lower abs and pushed my feet straight up to the ceiling. Hard to explain but very intense. My abs are sore for the first time in months.

What is to much work for abs? Can they handle 10 sets to failure every other day (with sat and sunday off)? Am I going to be strengthening or tearing down?

 

[danielson]

i'd love to know this as well. bruce lee used to a RIDICULOUS amount of ab work every day, easily over 500 reps a day i think, the reason being he needed thick abs for sparring. he got the too

at present i only do 5 sets of abs on tuesday, and 5 on thursday after squats, but each exercise is done with weight (weighted roman chairs or cable crunches usually). im usually to tired to any more (as i do a crap load of crunches, leg holds etc for kung-fu)but i may need to do more. alwyas wondered if there was a limit

 

[frorider6]

shameless self bump

 

[b fold the truth]

I think that you must determine what is too much ab training for you. I only do light ab training the day before a heavy squat or deadlift session (1-2 light sets of abs).

I also hate training abs, but they really help with my strongman events (just check out the mpeg of me doing the super yoke walk), so I find new ways to train them.

Make a list of all of the ab exercises that you can think of...and do them in a rotation of some sort. Pick one that you find to be your main exercise, then add another.

There probably isn't a certain formula on how to train abs, but I would not think that you could do 10 sets to failure 3x a week. There are tons of ab exercises and variation could very well be the key.

Ever do Zearcher Squats? They somehow kill your abs. Saxons will too. Standing, seated, roman chair, crunches, side bends, etc...tons of stuff.

Hope this gave you some ideas...and someone with more knowledgable information can post on here too...

B True