Abdominals Training for Function and Definition

Many people assume visible abs come from endless crunches, but research and personal experience consistently shows that abdominal definition is primarily a result of low body fat levels, achieved through nutrition and overall calorie balance. Ab training builds and strengthens the muscles, but diet is what reveals them. Let us assume you have been following along with the previous articles, and have your nutrition on point, then how do we train Abdominals so that we have a nice 6-pack when the diet brings the fat off.

Part 1:  What the Research Suggests

How Often Should You Train Abs?

Research on resistance training frequency suggests that training a muscle group 2–3 times per week is generally effective for strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth), provided total weekly training volume is appropriate. The abdominal muscles recover relatively quickly, so most people can benefit from including direct ab work several times per week.

A practical recommendation is:

• 2–3 focused ab sessions per week for most people
• 6–12 total working sets per week as a starting point
• Progressive overload over time (more resistance, reps, or difficulty)

Use a Variety of Exercises

The abdominal wall has multiple functions, so relying on a single exercise such as crunches may leave gaps in development and function. A balanced program should include:

Spinal Flexion

• Crunches
• Cable crunches
• Reverse crunches

Anti-Extension

• Planks
• Ab wheel rollouts

Anti-Rotation

• Pallof presses
• Plank shoulder taps

Hip Flexion and Lower-Ab Emphasis

• Hanging knee raises
• Hanging leg raises

Including exercises from several categories can improve overall core strength and help develop the abdominal muscles more completely. This is a big list of exercises; you don’t need to do all of them in the same session.

Don't Treat Abs Differently Than Other Muscles

The idea that abs require hundreds of repetitions is not supported by research. Like other muscle groups, the abdominal muscles respond to progressive resistance. Sets of roughly 8–20 repetitions, taken close to muscular fatigue, are effective for building muscle.

Part 2:  What I do for Contest Preparation

What I personally do for Abs is probably the furthest away from what I recommend for clients. Usually in this series of articles I recommend you do a scaled back version of what has been successful for me. This Article, not so much.

With 40 years of Heavy Squats, Presses, rows, etc I already have thick Abdominals and Serratus Muscles with little to no direct Abdominal work each week. I would average 2 sets of Abs each month. However, I do pose /flex the Abs most days and leading into competition Abs are flexed hard during Posing practice.

Unfortunately, what I do on this one is virtually useless to what I recommend to clients, so read the next section for useful tips.

Part 3:  What I Recommend for my Clients

The Science recommending  8 plus different exercises seem a bit much for all but the most enthusiastic Abdominal trainer. Usually Ill get clients to tack on some sets for Abs on 2 days per week.

A sample routine may look like this

1.      Hanging Knee raise 2 x 12

2.      Planks                    2 x 60-90 seconds

 

1.      Crunches                2 x 15

2.      Hyper-Extensions  2 x 15

Notice the Lower back exercise in there to complement the Abdominals, it’s all about balance front to back.

If you have plenty of time you can add in some Plank shoulder taps or make things harder with the Ab Wheel roll-outs.

The Bottom Line

If your goal is visible abdominal definition, focus first on maintaining a calorie-controlled diet that reduces body fat. Alongside your nutrition plan, train your abs 2–3 times per week, use a variety of exercises that challenge different core functions, and progressively increase the difficulty over time. Once body fat levels become low enough, the muscle you've built through consistent training will be much more visible.