no need to workout your abs?

is it true that, unless your goal is to get six packs, you don't need to do separate ab workouts??

I've heard that during your weight lifting, your abs will always be affected by it; you'd be working out your abs without realizing it.

Another question is... if you did separate moderate-intense ab work outs, but maintained your weight, would your stomach look rounder/bigger, because under your stomach fat, you'd have hard, bigger in size muscles bulking out?  (that sounds very weird)

I haven't been working out my ab (separately) for like... 3 weeks now!

But I have noticed that there are days when I've just weight lifted, but if I focused on my abs while weight lifting, my abs were sore the next day.

abs are made in the kitchen. its all about your diet. eat clean.

It is true that if you do other strength work outs it does work out your inner core also. Like doing squats, lunges, and push ups do use the core muscles to help you keep balance and form. I know with out eating right you will only feel your abs improvement and not really see it.

Original Post by sooji:

is it true that, unless your goal is to get six packs, you don't need to do separate ab workouts??

Even if your goal is a 6-pack, you don't need seperate ab workouts.

If  you get to a low enough bf% almost anyone would have visible abs.

I completely agree with those who said that your diet really matters. That is SO TRUE.

So you guys are basically saying that separate ab exercises are not necessary at all, right? Those crunches, leg lifts, etc etc... you don't need to do them? So why do so many fitness videos have ab exercises in them?

My goal is not to have visible 6 packs, but I do want a toned and a bit hard abs. I just don't want to be those skinny flabby girls, you know? What is your advice for me? No separate ab exercises at all?

Thanksssss xoxo

Original Post by sooji:

So why do so many fitness videos have ab exercises in them?

Because videos are targeted to people who aren't going to the gym or using equipment... there's a limit to what a video can have you do without any equipment.

And they need to convince those people that they are doing something useful. As much as we all know that spot burning is a myth, the general public still assumes that working an area will cause the fat in that area to go away. So - what's everyone's trouble spot? Belly fat! How do we cure it? Crunches!

amethystgirl

Oh my goodness!!! I never knew that fitness videos were mainly for people who didn't go to the gym/lifted weights !!!!! Wow, major newsflash, MAJOR!!!

Okay okay..... I need you to be STRAIGHTFORWARD with me, LOL...

So ab exercises are pretty much a waste of time?

It's just better to remember to tighten my abs while I'm lifting weights?

&& this will keep my abs tight and toned, yes?

I completely agree with you guys that clean, balanced eating is #1. I also love the idea of skipping ab exercies all together because, well I hate them. But just out of curiousty, how do you (mostly amethystgirl and sully) feel about this then? Would you disagree with this article all togeter?

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sp orts_body_training_performance/best_of_abs

Original Post by sooji:

So ab exercises are pretty much a waste of time?

No, there aren't necessary to get at 6-pack, that doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose.  Crunches, on the other hand, not a good idea for the vast majority of people.

Original Post by sooji:

It's just better to remember to tighten my abs while I'm lifting weights?

Better for what?  When lifting you should be bracing your core, not necessarily 'tightening your abs'.

Original Post by sooji:

&& this will keep my abs tight and toned, yes?

 What does 'tight and toned' mean?

Original Post by trikki:

But just out of curiousty, how do you (mostly amethystgirl and sully) feel about this then? Would you disagree with this article all togeter?

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sp orts_body_training_performance/best_of_abs

I didn't disagree with anything in the article, I just don't think it applies to the vast majority of people here.  Christian Thibaudeau is a body-building coach and as stated in the article that he has "exhaustively researched ab training for physique athletes, and he's made some very cool discoveries".  If you're a physique athlete then it's probably good advice, but if you're a physique athlete you probably aren't looking to CC+ for training tips.

If you want to do core work, I really like Eric Cressey's perspective (#17 here).

Original Post by trikki:

I completely agree with you guys that clean, balanced eating is #1. I also love the idea of skipping ab exercies all together because, well I hate them. But just out of curiousty, how do you (mostly amethystgirl and sully) feel about this then? Would you disagree with this article all togeter?

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sp orts_body_training_performance/best_of_abs

I don't necessarily disagree with the article, I just think that it's targeted at people who have very specific (and not very functional) goals.

And as sully said, and the article shows, there are plenty of ways to do directed ab work that don't involve crunches.

Personally, I think that things like planks are best (but even those work more than just the six pack). In NROLFW he has you do swiss ball jackknives - I don't know how much they do for the abs, but they definitely require strength and balance, and I liked seeing how much I improved with those.

edit: Ha! I knew if I spent long enough typing, sully would have a better response :) (And yes, I realize I'm very slow.)

I pick from around 12 different ab routines, not doing all of them in any 7-15 minute ab workout that I do.  I feel that even if the average person is not trying to get six-pack abs, he/she will find that ab workouts help tone many muscles in the body, such as the lower back, legs, shoulders, etc.  Yes, these muscles can also be stenghtened doing weights, but for some people ab workouts will be very beneficial for general toning and tightening.  Yes, a person has to do crunchers correctly and carefully, and they may not be for all or even most people.

What does 'toning' mean?

Original Post by floggingsully:

What does 'toning' mean?

I think it's a better way of saying "lose the gunky fat on top of the muscle." The videos always say they will give you "toned" abs which basically means they are going to attempt to reduce the body fat around your stomach so your abs show through. But that doesn't sound very cool.

Original Post by jess_sun:

Original Post by floggingsully:

What does 'toning' mean?

I think it's a better way of saying "lose the gunky fat on top of the muscle." The videos always say they will give you "toned" abs which basically means they are going to attempt to reduce the body fat around your stomach so your abs show through. But that doesn't sound very cool.

In which case, crunches would have no effect on abs, since you can't spot burn.

Sooji -  It seems like this discussion has been sidetracked a bit from your question which was, if I may paraphrase, "If I don't care about getting 6 pack abs, do I have to do separate ab exercises"

My answer is if you want to improve overall athletic performance and  potentially improve posture, the answer is yes, some amount of "ab" exercises are important.  By "ab" exercise, I am refering to core work in general and not only to crunches or sit-ups.  I think planks and side planks are a very good place to start along with something to strengthen your rotational muscles such as medicine ball twists or throws. 

Good answer by rwnorth!

So my answer for the first question is that there are, indeed, ways to tighten the abs without doing a specific ab workout, or at least a person can combine doing abs with other exercises and not call the exercises ab workouts.  One of the best ab workouts I get is when I use a tricep bar to do standing arm curls.  My abs automatically tighten and I can feel the burn on them.

A person can also achieve the overall benefits of tightening one's abs by, while at work for example,  deliberately holding the abs in for a few minutes while standing, or sitting for that matter.  In other words, deliberately tightening the abs for short stretches at a time will help for a lot of reasons, most of which have already been noted.  Another effective, if somewhat mentally taxing, way to strengthen the abs is when a person goes walking, he/she can deliberately for short amount of points in the walk, tighten the abs.  Start out by, for example, tightening the abs for 20 seconds during a part of the walk.  Doing this several times during the walk will prove to be beneficial. 

floggingsully

Darling, I have a lot of questions for you!!!

• Why aren't crunches a good idea for most ppl?
• What's the difference between "bracing your core" and "tightening your core"?
• My goal for my abs is for them to have very little fat and have some lean muscles showing (not like 6 packs bam!). What is your advice for me?? Do some direct ab exercises?

"Tight and toned" means... well, what I wrote just above!! I just want less fat around my stomach, but I don't want to look like those skinny girls who are definitely "small", but their body is not toned (sort of flabby?) Not necessarily 6 packs (&& that's a goal that'll be hard to attain), but you know... fit and somewhat defined!

rwnorth

Thank you for your kind reply!!!!

Okay, perhaps I should do some direct ab workouts.... how often do you think I should do them?

I'm about to hit the gym soon, so I'll do the prone bridge(plank) && side plank!

pilgrimdude

Mmmm~ I love the burning feeling in my stomach hahahaha!!

Deliberately tightening the abs for a short amount of time is quite effective it seems.... that's the same thing as tightening my abs while doing any weight lifting and letting them rest when I finish the exercise, right?

once again, thank you guys!!