Hello guys, I have a quick question. How do you categorise abdominal training ? Is it burning/ toning exercise (-s) like cardio or muscle building, like lifting weights ? Let’s say on one day you lift weights, on the other day you do cardio, on which of these days would you do abs ? Thanks in advance.
P.s. I am fully aware it doesn’t make much of a difference, but I’m just curious how people categorise it, do you ascribe it to the fat burning/cardio type of training or to the muscle building side.
Yeah, I know what you mean. But on the other hand, the whole method behind doing the ab exercises is to go for higher reps ( 20+ ) and short breaks. This is done to make your heart rate go up ( start sweating ) , and as a result burn the fat. You don’t really see many people training abs like they train other body parts, if we take for example typical bodybuilding protocol ( 8-12 reps ) , with a couple of minutes of break between the sets. Usually you will train abs for much higher reps and shorter breaks, which would mean, you’re trying to sweat and make the fat melt away.
I’m not disagreeing with you, hence why I’m asking, I don’t know the answer myself I’m just trying to give a different perspective, so maybe I can get more/different answers.
[quote]devoted wrote:
Yeah, I know what you mean. But on the other hand, the whole method behind doing the ab exercises is to go for higher reps ( 20+ ) and short breaks. This is done to make your heart rate go up ( start sweating ) , and as a result burn the fat. You don’t really see many people training abs like they train other body parts, if we take for example typical bodybuilding protocol ( 8-12 reps ) , with a couple of minutes of break between the sets. Usually you will train abs for much higher reps and shorter breaks, which would mean, you’re trying to sweat and make the fat melt away.
I’m not disagreeing with you, hence why I’m asking, I don’t know the answer myself I’m just trying to give a different perspective, so maybe I can get more/different answers.[/quote]
Depends how you’re working your abs, but as far as I know, there’s nobody who considers ab work a “fat burning exercise,” or “cardio,” unless you’re doing some kind of Aerobic T25 Pump n’ Burn program or something.
Yeah, lots of people do high reps of flexion exercises and take pride in being able to do 100 situps in one go (or having a 23-move ab circuit designed to carve out that elusive 14-pack), but there are lots of ways to work your abs:
-Low(er) reps, high weight with flexion movements (i.e. weighted crunch)
-Anti-extension/rotation (a la Tony Gentilcore)*
-Isometrics
-Not folding in half while you’re moving heavy-ass weight
It sounds more like you’re asking about that first type (lots and lots of reps of body weight movements), which I would classify as just that-- body weight. Depending on your program, you could fit that into your cardio day or off day without being at risk of over-training, I think. For some reason (which I’m sure is very scientific) I generally consider body weight and cardio (and direct ab training, for that matter) to be under the same umbrella. I usually do abs on lighter days, or “off” days that I can’t sit still.
Now let’s spend the rest of the thread discussing whose ab method is the ONLY method
[quote]Mr. Walkway wrote:
I only had a 4 pack when I started training, but after using weights for a few years it turned into an 8 pack[/quote]
Exactly. The standard line that “everyone has a six pack underneath there” can be somewhat MISLEADING in this respect.
Sure, it’s largely about fat loss to “uncover” them but some moderate abdominal development is STILL REQUIRED for the vast majority. In other words, stripping the fat off an undeveloped physique reveals… that undeveloped physique.
(note: pullups, squats, deadlifts work wonders; 1000s of crunches will not)
I’m just trying to give a different perspective, so maybe I can get more/different answers.