Frequency of sit-ups and planks
Is it really necessary to skip a day between workouts including sit-ups and planks? I understand the need for rest, but does it really slow your progress if you do them daily?
Planks can be done daily (and probably SHOULD be done daily by those with sedentary jobs).
For situps, it depends how many you do. If it's just one sub-maximal set, it should be ok to do them daily. But if you do multiple sets done to exhaustion, i'd take a day off.
Why did you want to do them daily? What is your goal?
I'm trying to firm up my abs. I have lost 4 inches off my waist -- from 43 to 39 -- but still have a bit of a belly, even though I have gone down two pants sizes.
I do weight training on Mon-Wed-Fri and cardio on Tues-Thurs, but I'd like to add some planks and sit-ups on the cardio days. I'm really starting to feel the muscles tighten in my abs -- including on my sides, where those annoying "love handles" are reduced but still there.
Thanks. Are you a personal trainer?
I realize that calorie deficit is important and I am doing that. The calculator on this site says I burn an average of 2800 calories a day. I am keeping my daily calorie intake around 2000-2200.
What kind of weight lifting you doing? Full body or isolation?
I ask because I am doing the program / book "New Rules of LIfting for Abs" and planks are an integral part but there are no "crunching" or bending ( sit up) in the book these are bad for the back.
Also the book incorporates full body lifts, deadlifts, squats push presses, chin ups sit ups
There are also a lot of "off loaded" lifts meaning you are holding weights in one side not the other and you have to stay centered, or there are a few where you hold one weight 10 lbs heavier than what you are holding in the other hand and then switch on the next set.
Until I lose the 10 -15 lbs of body fat I still have the belly roll, however I got rocking hard abs under that, and my visiable 4 pack always impresses me!!
I got the book you mentioned and am using many elements of it, especially planks. I'm still doing sit-ups, though. I add dumbbell lifts for my chest to those workouts.
Which stage are you on, because I know I used to do a class on non lifting days that was intense cardio/ crossfit stuff and now I find I need to take that day off to recover so don't make the class very often anymore I am on 2nd phase. It also adds burpees and kb swings which are a great metabolic workout.
Also phase 3 has some added complexes to the routine for fat loss
I'm only on stage 1. So you don't do planks on consecutive days?
On phase one I did not do any additional ab work I also only did the exercises as listed in each workout. I did however take a boot camp type class that sometimes required doing butterfly situps, lots of push ups, kettlebell swings, mountain climbers, speed squats usually these are done in a "tabata" format ( 20 sec on 10 sec rest work as hard and fast as you can ) or multiple reps.
Its an awesome workout it is intense cardio and mostly body weights, but the swings and sometimes t push ups and other weighted stuff, but anyway its a good fat burning workout and I had noticeable inches lost during that time.
However, since starting phase 2 I've discovered working out on non lift days very strenous on the body and was getting injured and having lots of pains so I've dialed it down on off days to just resting or a light cardio workout. Phase 2 is a strength program and the burpees and kb swings after the lifting is proving enough for now.
someone here on CC loves to say "Abs are made in the kitchen" which is so true. When I eat right I lose weight and my abs become more visable. When I eat over maintainence I get a belly again.
I can't see the harm in doing some 90 second planks a couple times on non lifting days. I just think eating clean - as explained in the book and doing a deficit upping the protein you should see some good results in fat / inches lost.
I would be more inclined to go with some metabolic work http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online _article/training/get_off_the_treadmill_and_g et_metabolic on non lifting days - doing these type of cardio workouts have been the big shape changer I needed,
I do some type of ab workout every time I go to the gym...whether a lifting or cardio day. I was told forever ago that core muscles are different and can be worked every day, but I don't know if that is true.
LC- yes core can be worked everyday - also heard light shoulder work daily is ok too
If you don't count all the compound exercises I do, I do abs once a week...on leg day, and only 1 set.
The "way I heard it" (lol) is that you can do crunches or situps every day if you are doing fairly high reps (light loads). But, if you are doing just a few, while holding big plates on your chest, it should be treated more like lifting weights (needs more time to recover).
OGR
"Abs are made in the kitchen"
I don't know who came up with that quote, but it is very true. It seems that the love handles are the last to go.
Original Post by oldguysrule:
The "way I heard it" (lol) is that you can do crunches or situps every day if you are doing fairly high reps (light loads). But, if you are doing just a few, while holding big plates on your chest, it should be treated more like lifting weights (needs more time to recover).
OGR
boy, that makes sense. the closer it is to cardio the more often you can do it...and planks are ?
thanks dspoon. I wasnt asking what a plank is, I was meaning to ask if you have cardio on one end and heavy lifting on the other end, as OGR was suggesting, where do isometric exercises like planks fall? I would put them into the every day category, but maybe it depends from person to person how hard they are...
I'm going to try every day with the planks and see how it goes. I've never had anything that made my sides feel tighter, so I'm going with it more often.
One of my goals is to do a 2 minute plank some day. I was on facebook the other day and found this site where people were planking on medicine balls on plyo boxes, then there were pics of people planking on kettlebells at their shins and shoulders! Then one where a woman was on top of a stack of plates ( 35 lb plates not the kind you eat off of) she must have had 30 under her
http://www.facebook.com/LifeAsRx
Original Post by lcuconley:
Original Post by oldguysrule:
The "way I heard it" (lol) is that you can do crunches or situps every day if you are doing fairly high reps (light loads). But, if you are doing just a few, while holding big plates on your chest, it should be treated more like lifting weights (needs more time to recover).
OGR
boy, that makes sense. the closer it is to cardio the more often you can do it...and planks are ?
Things like that are classed as "muscular endurance." The muscle itself burns, but usually without making you breath hard. Holding your arms out doing arm circles is an example. Your shoulders start to burn, but you don't really breath hard during, or after. Of course, if the exercise uses large muscle groups, like doing a bunch of really fast unweighted squats, it makes you breath hard too. Exercises fall on a continuum, not just one or other definition.
Original Post by oldguysrule:
Original Post by lcuconley:
Original Post by oldguysrule:
The "way I heard it" (lol) is that you can do crunches or situps every day if you are doing fairly high reps (light loads). But, if you are doing just a few, while holding big plates on your chest, it should be treated more like lifting weights (needs more time to recover).
OGR
boy, that makes sense. the closer it is to cardio the more often you can do it...and planks are ?
Things like that are classed as "muscular endurance." The muscle itself burns, but usually without making you breath hard. Holding your arms out doing arm circles is an example. Your shoulders start to burn, but you don't really breath hard during, or after. Of course, if the exercise uses large muscle groups, like doing a bunch of really fast unweighted squats, it makes you breath hard too. Exercises fall on a continuum, not just one or other definition.
yea, but.. when I do long planks after about 45 seconds of the hold I start to breath hard, and after 90 seconds holding I'm pretty well toast for the minute while I rest before moving on to the next exercise.
