How many of you actually do ab workouts

Maybe this is a silly question but how many of you actually do abs workouts and have nice abs? I hear so many stories about people who barely work their abs but just keep them active when they lift. Do you have any ab stories to share? Is there anyone who swears by those intense ab workout videos or is it mostly just genetics?

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If you want your abs to show, you need to lose fat around them. When you work them out, they get bigger and more visible.

I work on mine twice a week, nothing too intense. Usually just at the end of whatever workout I’m doing.

@Rey
Exactly. I do an 8-minute circuit twice a week. If I keep it up and maintain a cut, they’re quite defined. If I skip it and am not very lean, you can still see them but not as clearly. It’s not a huge difference just by adding them in.

@Reese
Don’t keep us in suspense… what is your 8-minute heaven?

Perry said:
@Reese
Don’t keep us in suspense… what is your 8-minute heaven?

For one minute each:

  • normal crunch
  • hold a light weight (3-5 lbs), sitting up while extending arms straight through legs to feet
  • overhead sit-up with the same weight
  • oblique crunches on each side
  • plank
  • opposite elbow to knee crunch on each side

No specific rep count, just focus on good, slow form for all of them. No rest in between.

Works well for me at least.

@Rey
I do abs about 5 to 6 times a week, nothing fancy. Just some weighted crunches (to protect my back) and knee/leg raises.

From what I know, abs are mostly Type 1 muscle fibers, meaning they resist fatigue and recover pretty quickly. So, I just do it at home.

Just get into a meth or Adderall habit, and you’ll have abs in no time.

Ellery said:
Just get into a meth or Adderall habit, and you’ll have abs in no time.

No teeth but great abs—LOL.

Ellery said:
Just get into a meth or Adderall habit, and you’ll have abs in no time.

Not even joking.

I usually stick to classic exercises like crunches, planks, and hanging leg raises.

That’s pretty much how I go too. I do woodchoppers on my push and pull days, but otherwise, I just engage my core during hard lifts.

I work on my abs for two reasons: to have a strong core and as an excuse to hit the gym. I don’t use weights on core day. It’s just a day to move and feel good.

It’s mostly genetics and being somewhat lean, but those weighted crunch machines have worked well for me. I’m seeing more development, and my abs are more visible even at higher body fat percentages. Just takes one or two working sets a week.

I’ve successfully used both approaches. I used to focus on the big three—squats, bench, and deadlifts—and just engaged my core during those lifts. Now I mostly do bodyweight exercises along with a wheel, leg lifts, planks, and hollow body workouts.

In both cases, body fat percentage matters a lot. My abs have gotten much bigger now that I give them more isolated training. They hold up much better even during bulking.

I train my abs, but not as often compared to the rest of my body. The only muscle I train less is my traps. They can grow like any other muscle, but you need to have low body fat to see the details.

Yes, I do ab or core workouts as part of super sets to help lengthen my rest periods between other sets.

I use the crunch machine a couple of times weekly, but I know I should be doing more.

I make sure to activate my core during compound lifts. I also do ab workouts as secondary exercises between my main lifts. I only started this recently. In my 30s, I never did extra ab workouts but engaged my core during compound lifts.