Having a good physique is everyone’s dream. And in order to achieve that many train ab exercises that help to strengthen their core muscles. In this process, many have certain misconceptions regarding training abs. Some people train abs every day thinking it is the only way to attain six packs. So can you work out abs every day?

1. Introduction

Abs are just like any other muscle group. You need to treat them the same way you treat other muscles. This comprises of doing the right exercises at the right time, eating proper food, etc. It is not just having a structured workout routine that you do every day and one day you will get a very impressive six-pack. That’s not how it works.

You should know the various muscle groups that work in your abdomen. Abdominal muscles are what are commonly referred to as “abs”. But ab workout has various dimensions and functions through which it stimulates each muscle group that ultimately results in having a strong core. So could you achieve this by working your abs every day?

2. How do Abdominal Muscles Work?

The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and pelvis of a human body. The abs have several muscle groups which have their own role in stimulating performance in your body. Each of these muscles plays a crucial role in body posture, core stabilization, and movement.

The abdominal muscle group consists of the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse abdominis. In this four-muscle group, the rectus abdominus has the ability to create certain bumps and bulges whenever it is contracted. These bumps are what you refer to as “six packs” or “washboard abs”. Both the internal and external obliques on each side of the rectus abdominis help to twist the trunk allowing while contracting.

While working abs muscles, we are focusing on stimulating movement in these four muscle groups which results in having a strong core or even six-pack abs. Proper training of these muscles will result in the functioning of these muscles to strengthen your core.

3. Can You Workout Abs Everyday?

We’ve mentioned how abs is like other muscles. So, you need to give it some rest and time to endure more strength. Just because you do the exercises properly doesn’t mean that training abs every day will do good for you. Rather it can create a sense of distortion and compromise in your gains.

Abs need stimulus to break down their muscle tissue and grow stronger. This process happens when you work ab. Now what happens when you work out every day is that you are not giving the muscle a chance to fix it. This is an essential part of building strong core muscles.

But having said that it is like you can’t work out ab every day at all. Some ab exercises would cause no harm in repair or damage. Such workouts as plank jacks, and crunches while you do every day would not cause strain to your ab muscles.

For other muscle training, you would generally take a break to rest yourself and relax the body part. Likewise, for an abs workout, you need to take at least one full day break to ensure adequate recovery.

Yes once you start to have an abs workout routine it will be tempting to follow every day. But that will only result in fatigue, and risk of injury and reduces your hypertrophy process which is a muscle-gaining performance. If working out daily will impede your progress then it’s not worth doing right?

4. Effective Ab Exercises

If you want specific exercises to build your abs then there are quite a few which help you focus on abs. There are many exercises that focus on your pelvic floor muscles. This is only for someone who wants to fully focus on their abs. But the truth is your abs are utilized in many other compound exercises which you do. It means that while you are doing front squats, dumbbell lunges even polymeric push-ups. Your abs will strengthen while you do any of these exercises. But there are other muscle groups that need separate attention.

4.1 Planks

Planks are the best way to tone, tighten and strengthen your core. There are various types of planks that are highly effective in ab training. Planks are the best way to train your ab from top to bottom. There are forearm plank, side plank, up-down plank, plank jacks, etc.

Planks boost the metabolic rate and train more than one muscle group. That is the reason it is highly recommended by fitness trainers. While doing this exercise you need to make sure that your hips and legs are in straight line at an axle to gain an even stronger core.

In this, you can add many things depending on the training you are under. For intense stabilization exercises, you can wear ankle weights and hold dumbbells.

4.2 Russian Twist

The Russian twist helps you to work your internal and external obliques. This reduces your top and side belly fat. You can do this exercise with a heavy medicine ball to feel more weight on your core.

Sit on the ground and get your feet off the ground to perform this exercise. Lift your body about 90 degrees and move your upper body from left to right. While performing this exercise make sure your body is in a straight line and has a smooth motion.

Do a minimum of two sets a day to get good results. The Russian twist is one of the best ab exercises which makes you reduce your side body fat.

4.3 Leg Raises

Another great abs workout routine that helps you with hip strength training and flexibility. It also helps in working your lower abs and inner thighs since your legs are in motion.

To do this exercise correctly, you need to lie on the floor with your arms down by your side. It is important to keep your legs straight and slowly raise your legs few inches off the ground and bring it down. You can incorporate many things in leg raises like V-ups and V-sits for which you can use either a dumbbell or medicine ball.

It helps in building core strength and attaining strong abs. Leg raises also help in reducing body fat and toning your body.

4.4 Cable Crunches

Cable crunches are the best way to work your core muscles. For this, you need to attach a rope to a pulley cable and stack appropriate weights on it. However, if you have weak core strength don’t put too much weight in.

Catch the ropes and face yourself behind the cable with your knees bent. Slowly pull the cable to the core and release it to the starting position.

The problem many people do is that they concentrate on pivoting the hips and not on working abs. If you don’t know the proper form then make sure you have a certified personal trainer to guide you through the process. Cable crunches require frequent training to get results.

4.5 Toe Tap

To perform this exercise you need to lie down flat. Bend your knees and make sure your legs are lifted at a 90-degree angle. keep your arms sideways and point them towards the direction of the toe while doing the workout.

Bring the hands towards the toe and release them to their original position. While releasing to the original position make sure your legs are on the air. Repeat it for 15 counts and do 2 sets per day to get effective results.

The toe tap is part of the abdominal muscle workout which is what we use for daily activities like lifting weights, bending, twisting, etc.

5. Conclusion

The muscles in the abdominal region are not big muscles. They are slow twitch muscle fibers which means that they are better suited for longer or endurance workouts. So if you are engaging in daily ab workouts then the chances of them affecting to muscle building and strain for your muscles.

But the above-mentioned ab exercises are really effective if you want to build strong core muscles and get abs. However, those with higher body fat percentages may not see results earlier on. To make the abs visible will vary from person to person.

It’s not always about workouts. If you are really keen to get a flat body or even a six-pack, you need to have a proper diet. Foods with much protein and fiber help in reducing belly fat. Processed junk food should be avoided to maintain your body. Drinking a lot of water is necessary to stay hydrated.

Training your abs every day is not advisable for people seeking to gain strong muscle and six-packs. But some basic workouts which doesn’t put much strain on your muscles can be performed daily. Training abs are really necessary since many have a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting in front of the laptop for long hours affects your body posture. You need to train your abs to improve posture and strengthen muscle fibers.

Last Updated on December 25, 2023 by soubhik92@gmail.com