45 Minute Abs Workout

I think my diet is pretty good. On a typical day I would have for breakfast, porridge (made with water) + honey + some cornflakes (I like them in my porridge ), then for lunch I'd have a low fat yoghurt, a banana, and 2 oranges, then for dinner I would have fish and rice for the protein. Maybe with a few egg whites.

What do you think is bad in that diet? I guess I could cut out the rice, but eating fish on it's own wouldn't be filling.

You don't mention any warm-up and cool-down exercises? Are you doing those effectively? They are just as important as the actual exercises?

Also, what's the rest period during and between the exercises? You've designed a classic example of a circuit training session. The standard rest period is 30 seconds between sets and 1-3 minutes between exercises. For example:

Do 20 sit ups, take a 30 sec break, do 20, 30 second break, final 20.
1-3 minute rest period
25 crunches, 30 sec break, 25 crunches 30 secs, 25 crunches.
You get the point.

You also need to do what GCSE PE teachers call "overload". That is, improve every session, so instead of doing 10 sit ups x3 for a week. Do 10x3 on day 1 of the week, 11x3 on day 2, 12x3 on day 3.

I used to be really active last year, I'd go to the gym 3 times a week and do a variety of exercises. No, with bills to pay, I've cancelled my gym membership and have to workout at home. My routine for the past month has been really simple:

Jog 3 times a week for about 20 mins (I don't overload on running like I used to, and the weather has been bad so I've stopped).
Press ups 20x3. I started last month at about 7x3, but slowly I've going up and up.
Ab plank - this is my main workout. I started with 1 minutex3. But now I've gone up to 3 minutes 50 seconds x 3. Tomorrow will be my last overload. I improve by 10 seconds everyday or every two days. I will stop increasing at 4 minutes.

But even with this simple routine. I don't have great abs. I have the top 2 looking quite good. The middle ones are also improving, but the bottom two and below have fat on there because I am quite big around the waste.

Sorry for any typos, no time to proofread

Interesting post

My response in a single word. Overtraining.

Its far too common with abs. The abs are a muscle, just like all other muscles. For example, would you apply the same routine you described to your biceps, back, legs etc.?

All muscle responds in the same way, i.e. fast twitch, slow twitch is the same in the abs as in the biceps and so on. The basics of muscle training applies to the abs as it does to all other muscles. When you train the biceps, you will roughly do 5 sets of heavy loads (~8-12 reps) which is the optimum combo to trigger new muscle growth - any more or less will fail to trigger new growth.

In the same way, once you've reached the trigger point - any further training will tend to strain your muscles and a process of protein breakdown begins - i.e. your muscle will eat itself to maintain function (this is overtraining).

In the same way, if your overtraiing the abs - your muscle will simply not grow. In other words, no matter how much further training you do, the muscle has given up growing. This means visually, you will not see any results, even though the strength may have increased.

In my opinion, its best to train the abs just like any other muscle (bodybuilding style) - this will give you the growth, hardness plus some serious core strength.

On other occasions, do high volume abs training, similar to what your doing atm, this should give the sharp and crisp definition of the abs to complement the muscle growth.

The most important factor throughout (which any trainer will tell you) is REST. So between training, make sure you give the abs time to rest, plus this is when the actually grow (during repair) and this is also the main time you should be eating pleanty of proetin and remember the carbs and fat - don't exclude fat from your diet!

Hope this helps, good luck.

his diet is piss poor (ie; insufficient calories, insufficient protein, insufficient fats, insufficient vegetables, etc).

remember the carbs and fat - don't exclude fat from your diet!

Interesting post

My response in a single word. Overtraining.

Its far too common with abs. The abs are a muscle, just like all other muscles. For example, would you apply the same routine you described to your biceps, back, legs etc.?

All muscle responds in the same way, i.e. fast twitch, slow twitch is the same in the abs as in the biceps and so on. The basics of muscle training applies to the abs as it does to all other muscles. When you train the biceps, you will roughly do 5 sets of heavy loads (~8-12 reps) which is the optimum combo to trigger new muscle growth - any more or less will fail to trigger new growth.

In the same way, once you've reached the trigger point - any further training will tend to strain your muscles and a process of protein breakdown begins - i.e. your muscle will eat itself to maintain function (this is overtraining).

In the same way, if your overtraiing the abs - your muscle will simply not grow. In other words, no matter how much further training you do, the muscle has given up growing. This means visually, you will not see any results, even though the strength may have increased.

In my opinion, its best to train the abs just like any other muscle (bodybuilding style) - this will give you the growth, hardness plus some serious core strength.

On other occasions, do high volume abs training, similar to what your doing atm, this should give the sharp and crisp definition of the abs to complement the muscle growth.

The most important factor throughout (which any trainer will tell you) is REST. So between training, make sure you give the abs time to rest, plus this is when the actually grow (during repair) and this is also the main time you should be eating pleanty of proetin and remember the carbs and fat - don't exclude fat from your diet!

Hope this helps, good luck.

I understand I need to increase my protein and veg intake, but what I don't understand is that I have to increase my calorie and fat intake. I thought abs would only be visible after the layer of fat over the stomach has gone. I've done a lot of research on this and pretty much everywhere I look I am being told to cut out the fat, and decrease the calorie intake. I'm being told the completely opposite here!

Thanks for the replies btw!

I don't completely agree, I'm 14-16% [EOB] and I can see my abs.

He has to have some significant amount of muscle there otherwise he'll have to get to ludicrously low levels of body fat (which are usually unmaintainable) and/or do other things.

2-6% is competitive body builder levels of fat which are unsustainable.

Everything else you said is correct though (thumbs up).

I understand I need to increase my protein and veg intake, but what I don't understand is that I have to increase my calorie and fat intake. I thought abs would only be visible after the layer of fat over the stomach has gone. I've done a lot of research on this and pretty much everywhere I look I am being told to cut out the fat, and decrease the calorie intake. I'm being told the completely opposite here!

I think my diet is pretty good. On a typical day I would have for breakfast, porridge (made with water) + honey + some cornflakes (I like them in my porridge ), then for lunch I'd have a low fat yoghurt, a banana, and 2 oranges, then for dinner I would have fish and rice for the protein. Maybe with a few egg whites.

What do you think is bad in that diet? I guess I could cut out the rice, but eating fish on it's own wouldn't be filling.

What a load of rubbish-pure bro science



Please don't give such advice, no matter how good it sounds it is complete garbage.

Op just follow what Choc has said above, that's all you need

Full of broscience.

How are you surviving on this much food?!
You need so much more food to feed your muscles than this!
No wodner you have visible abs.
Oh and when you say you had abs at 13-14, were you monitoring your diet?
If not, that may well hold the answer

Yes and no - his diet and exercise regime is so poor that it's unlikely to have a negative or beneficial effect either way.

He will not get a good sixpack by doing 100s of crunches, doing a warmup and cool down or getting plenty of rest - he needs to challenge his body by lifting heavy weights and performing HIIT and he needs to eat properly.

I understand I need to increase my protein and veg intake, but what I don't understand is that I have to increase my calorie and fat intake. I thought abs would only be visible after the layer of fat over the stomach has gone. I've done a lot of research on this and pretty much everywhere I look I am being told to cut out the fat, and decrease the calorie intake. I'm being told the completely opposite here!

Thanks for the replies btw!

What? in what way, shape or form is my post rubbish - point the rubbish out and lets see the explanation. find me anywhere thats proves any different! are you even an athlete or bodybuilder? what sport do you do and how do you train your abs since you say it is rubbish. in other words, on what basis is it rubbish.

In summary, I decsribed a HILV approach for the abs which is complemented with LIHV - this gives you the best of both worlds. Optimum muscle growth and max definition - im also pointinng out the importance of REST and to avoid overtraining! keep your 'bro-science' to yourself, im talking about actual science and I am qualified to do so.

Im 6ft as well and 69kg in just underwear, yeh i can definitely feel my abs, but like you said there is fat over it so you only can see the abs in correct lighting conditions

however i have had good abs at a young age like 10, because i was doing karate since the age of 5...the muscles have always stayed there and only recently ive been exercising them even more, however the pleasures of food have taken over and ive got a little fat, im waiting for uni where i can burn it off at a nearby gym, atm i just really cba

Well I tried helping you, now don't go around crying before you get ripped apart by the other regulars I think Choc provided you with a good description of your bro science, now stop trolling in the fitness forum.

You're qualified ?

I eat until I'm full, so I think it's enough for my body. If my body needed more, I would feel hungry. And no I didn't monitor my food at 13-14, I was just naturally slim I guess.

Looks like I'm going to have to eat more veg and healthy fats. Milk contains healthy fat, right? And egg yolks?

First off, I'm a guy. I have almost no fat on me, when I look in the mirror in a morning, if I lost anymore fat I would look anorexic. I eat pretty much perfectly, I never eat any junk food, and I make sure everything that enters my mouth is low in calories, while getting the appropriate nutrients (protein etc). I also do atleast 30 minutes running 5 days a week, and I've been doing that for 2 months now. I've been on a decent diet for atleast 6 months now, and a realy strict diet for the last 2 months. I understand that to get decent abs, the most important 2 factors are diet and exercise, and I think I got them sorted.

I've been working my abs for the last 6 months on and off, I don't have access to a gym so I have to make do with doing crunches etc on the floor, however after 6 months I still don't have any abs! Is there anything I'm doing wrong? I know it's not genetics, because when I was 13-14 I had an awesome set of abs and I did bugger all to get them. Anyway I've decided to spend a lot more time on my abs, so I've set out this abs workout, and since it's my first proper abs workout plan, I could do with opinions on whether you think it will work or not. So here it is:

The workout takes about 50 minutes, and will be done 4-5 days a week.

Sit Ups (With toes tucked under sofa) 3 x 20
Crunches 3 x 25
Leg Raises 3 x 15
Right Oblique Crunch 3 x 25
Left Oblique Crunch 3 x 25
Sit Ups (No Assistance) 3 x 15
Plank for 2 minutes (Only forearms and toes touching floor)

What do you guys/girls think?

Note: I really can't go to the gym, money on top of a mountain of other things just wont allow it.

Thanks

6ft and 69kg? Bulk the f**k up!