The Hoboken Cafe 

Question, how many time should i work the abs in a week.

thanks for any help
irene

So that you know, I am not an physical trainer expert but... I do 20 mins of cardio, 20 mins of weight training and 5 mins of abs for 3 times a week. My stomach has gotten slowly flatter. Of course, for those that know me, I am thin as a rail but I hid the small belly well.

But, that works for me.

GM's is the correct answer (or reasonably close).

One thing to keep in mind is that Ghandi had a six-pack - and he was hardly a *fitness* guru.

It's good to do abs regularly but don't expect it to bust your gut. Your abs could and may already be rock-hard but don't expect to *see* results if you have a layer of fat over top.

Eat less, eat better, exercise more. It's that simple.

Everyday - that is what I do as part of my excercise, with different types of crunches. If you can, start from 30 - 100 per day. Consistency pays off, dear...

Delphine

Am trying thankss a lot, for your answers. :)

Hey Blueanna,
You should only work your abs as often as you would resistance train any other part of your body, preferably two to three times a week. Remember, when you train a muscle you are actually breaking down those fibers and they need time to regenerate and hopefully comeback stronger and better than ever. Studies show that this takes anywhere from 48 to 72 hours depending on the intensity of the training. Keep in mind however the only way to acheive that "toned" appearance is losing bodyfat and adding a little muscle mass. For more help on those topics check out my articles on "The Truth About Weight Loss" and "More Muscle, Less Myth".
Thanks for the question,
Brent Brookbush NASM, NSCA, IFPA CPT & ACSM H/FI