Clear this up once and for all!

[FeeFee]

What is the TRUTH about ab exercises and their effectiveness??? (in plain and simple terms, please guys)

I read different things everywhere ---some say do a million reps, others say there is no need to do more than 3 sets of 15 reps per exercise, as you would for any other type of exercise...some say use weights,...I'm just confused at this point.

At the end of aerobics classes, the instructors tend to give a complicated set of ab exercises that involve all sorts of movements that highly involve the legs----and i wonder, are these exercises really working the abs or the hips/thighs/legs/lower back????

Can someone give some a specific, honest insight?

Personally, I am not looking to get six-packs, I just want a flatter mid-section (oh, and I know diet is the most important thing, because fat covers your progress, etc ---all I am interested in is the specifics in terms of exercises.
And how often? do you need to train your abs everyday? do you NEED to use wiehgts?


Thanks

[swanso5]

abs are basically the same as every other muscle

you wouldn't do a million reps for legs or arms (or though most blokes try to for arms!!) so why the abs?

here's take and i think i'll do an article on this soon:

inner unit - consists of the underlying muscles such as transverse abdominis, multifidis etc that stabilise the spine

outer unit - rectus abdominis, obliques etc that give you a 6 pack

most focus on the outer unit where they should focus on the inner unit

this is how i train and have client's train abs using prone ab brace variations, side ab brace variations and various anti-rotation exercises

most of these are done without wt and have multiple levels of hardenss holding for time with quality over quanitity

[woodshedder]

Your goal you say is a flatter midsection.

Ab exercises won't give you a flatter midsection. I assume your midsection is not flat because of fat. Ab exercises do not target abdominal fat (if someone can provide some science that says otherwise, I'm listening). Adding muscle mass anywhere will help you get rid of fat (abdominal and otherwise). However, it is a myth that working a particular muscle will reduce specifically reduce fat in the vicinity of that muscle.

[sparrow]

I don't know what the TRUTH is, but for me, this is what has worked.
I eat a very lean, clean diet, and I do AB work that lasts about a 7 minute session 2-3 times a week.

I also notice ABS get worked when doing other compound workouts for back, and chest.

ABS are nicely defined.
I don't have a 6 pack but I definitely have a 2 pack and defined oblique lines.

stomach is very flat hardly any body fat in this area.
I'm a female.

[swanso5]

bet would be if you were to continue the clean diet and compound exercises and drop the ab exrcises, you would still have what you have ab wise