Vary Your Ab Routine

Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on December 9, 2008 under Core Training, General Fitness, Weight Loss | Be the First to Comment

Abdominal training is the focus of a lot of attention these days. The belly is the number one problem area for most people and often is the area worked the most (usually on a daily basis) during an exercise routine. However, the abdominals are a muscle group just like any other and they need to recover as well. Therefore, for those who insist on working the abdominals frequently, I recommend taking the following approach.

Arrange your abdominal exercises so that you are training different movement patterns throughout the week instead of overworking the same movement. Here is an example of what I am referring to:

Monday: Trunk flexion exercises (eg. crunches)

Tuesday: Lateral flexion exercises (eg. saxon side bends)

Wednesday: Trunk rotation exercises (eg. russian twists)

Thursday: Pelvic tilt exercises (eg. hanging knee raises)

Friday: Transversus abdominis exercises (eg. stomach vacuums)

Saturday: Static abdominal/core exercises (eg. planks)

This approach will provide for 6 straight days of abdominal training without reproducing any given movement on more than one day. You can also combine two or more of the movement patterns on any given day (for instance, trunk flexion and rotation) and cut your number of abdominal training days to 2-3 days/week.

Choose a combination that works best for you. Just keep in mind that abdominals need recovery just like any other muscle group. After all, could you imagine squatting six days per week?!

Related posts:

1. Beginner Exercisers Should Use Machines?
2. Want To See Your Abs? Ease Up on the Crunches!
3. Swiss Ball Core Routine
4. Exercise Order Does Indeed Matter
5. Variety Is The Spice Of Weight Loss