So often the mindset with working out is the more the better. The cultures of people are so absolute in difference it is truly astonishing. Either people struggle to make it to the gym once or twice a week or they cannot take a single day off and train 7 days straight!
The ladder seems to include a certain body part also being trained every day as well.
Can you guess which part?
That is right, the abs.
Even a good number of people that go to the gym everyday and work out all the time still suffer from “AbTrain-itis”. This is where no matter what you are working that day, you have to get one or two ab movements in because in your brain it will assist in making your midsection look not only stronger but leaner.
It does not matter how many crunches, leg lifts, pikes, or planks you do throughout the week, they will not make your midsection leaner. That is what is called “spot training” and sorry to say, it is nothing but a myth.
Abs are made on treadmills and kitchens.
Furthermore, not only is training abs everyday pretty much a waste of time, but it can also have adverse effects on your body. The abs are basically spinal flexor muscles, allowing the spine to curl forward (like when you do a sit up or bend over). By training your abs every day, you can actually develop postural problems and even cause muscular imbalances in other places. Remember, when training the abs you are also engaging your lower back, so training abs everyday will also effect those muscles as well.
Your core is vital and important to virtually every movement you do inside and outside of the gym. So, by having a defective posture and muscular imbalances, you will be putting your body in a world of chaos when trying to work out. The best approach would be training your abs like you train every other muscle (back, biceps, shoulders, etc.), once to twice a week. Some people live by a “3 day a week” ab training routine, and that is also ok, but just make sure that you are not overdoing anything in each session. Abs should not be trained anymore than 20-30 minutes if done correctly (and intense enough).
Getting your abs to show is more about strategy and approach, not about abundance in training.
