WHY Exercising Your Abs Every Day Will Waste Your Time

It makes ZERO sense to work your abs every day, so stop this madness!

You should not work your abs every day. This is senseless.

As a personal trainer I never endorsed this mad practice. Why would you want to do this?

Do you believe that exercising abs every day (movements that specifically target this area) will more quickly flatten the belly and show a six-pack or definition than if you did your abs, say, only three times a week?

Working the abs every day seven days a waeek will waste your time and guess what: will be no more effective than if you bench pressed every day or performed leg extensions every day.

Are there days you don’t do abs but that you DO do exercises such as deadlifts, pushups, pull-ups, squat jumps?

LISTEN…
Your abs get worked when you do those deadlifts, pushups, pull-ups, squat jumps and other compound movements.

Doing ab-specific exercises day after day will only make you better at doing ab-specific exercises.

This is great now if you’re training for the ab-targeting-exercise Olympics. But if you’re training for that svelte middle or even further…definition or a six-pack, lay off all the ab-targeting movements. Big time sink.

Two days a week of four hard sprints at 12 mph on the treadmill (do not hold on), with about two minutes of walking in between, will do far more to bring out your abs than will an extra four days a week of 20 minutes’ worth of sit-ups and crunches.

Replace your ab-targeting movements with the deadlift and chin-up/pull-up.

If you’re wondering how chin-ups or pull-ups will work the abs, you’ll find out when you learn how to do these movements with no assistance!

In the meantime, ask a person who can do chin-ups or pull-ups unassisted if they can “feel” their abs smoking like mad at any point during the movement. Listen to their response!

Ab-targeting exercises do not raise resting metabolism.

The fat-burn is minimal because abdominal muscles are naturally weak and small.

Do ab exercises 2-3 times a week and only for five or so minutes, and make the routine INTENSE. This will strengthen your core to a degree.

But for stripping off the fat and strengthen your core a LOT, include the following exercises in your regimen and just forget the daily ab bonanza:

 

 

Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.