Girls- ab workouts? how many reps?

[Anonymous]

Im really trying to flatten my lower abs so iv been doing a/b 300 reps total a day of different exercises from reverse crunches to leg lifts etc do you think that's enough?

[WeaponZero]

The amount of reps you should do when performing any sort of calisthenics (exercises using your body weight for resistance) is relative to your weight and your current fitness level. Since nobody knows yours, nobody can say. What I CAN say is this:

Doing a lot of core-focused exercises is totally pointless and retarded if you're training properly and using free weights rather than machines. The reason being is because when you use free weights, and you do your exercises while standing or sitting upright (whenever possible) you're engaging your core to keep your spine supported and keep your form correct. This gives your core all the workout it needs. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and other compound movements are what hit it.

Also, losing fat on your lower abs doesn't come from doing ab exercises. It comes from doing cardio. And ab exercises are not much cardio. Grab a jump rope or go for a run.

[WeaponZero]

And please don't tell me you're one of those mentally retarded girls who ONLY works the abs but never does resistance work that targets other body parts. That's just stupidity at work.

[WeaponZero]

Bodybuilders with their ripped six packs never do any core specific exercises. Desite having ripped six packs most never do a single crunch. The core work they get comes from doing compound movements with weights.

[WeaponZero]

I came back to add something to this answer after my workout last night because it emphasizes my point. I focused specifically on back and biceps at the gym yesterday and a few of the back exercises I was doing (T-bar rows and bent over rows, specifically) left my abs burning and I'm still feeling it today.

[Anonymous]

If you want great abs, do a lot of running and make sure your diet is correct.

Fitness gurus don't do 300 reps of crunches or any of that weak crap, yet they are ripped with a six pack. You need balance, with balance you lose body fat and gain core strength in more places than just the upper part of your abs.

[rachiee]

Well to flatten your lower abs you really need to be doing cardio too. Go for a run. I hope you're also working on other parts of your body. You don't want to overwork just these areas but only doing them everyday. Switch it up every other day. But transverse abdominis workouts are really what you need to be doing. These workout the part underneath where 6 pack muscles are. Here's some good workouts, I'm sure you could find more link .

Since you're doing exercises that use your body weight, the number of reps/sets you do really depends on your weight. You don't want to overwork and put too much stress on certain muscles. This will just cause you to be overly sore and not able to perform exercises on these muscles for a few days or so.

[Asker]

i do cardio and I work other parts of my body and ill try some of those exercises thanks!

[pascal_climbs]

More important is that you respect rest days for recovery and have a good protein intake to build muscle. Flat belly is exercising. Getting visible abs is cutting fat down. But the latter also means you loose female curves.

[kheserthorpe]

If the goal is to flatten, transverse abdominus moves might be better.