Which is better for a more defined abs? regular or weighted?

[webnewland]

I'm doing 200 situps a day, but was thinking of maybe changing into 3 sets of 10 situps using 25 - 35lb of weight. Which way is better?
Thanks

 

[BigJelly]

Your asking the fat computer nerds...

You should read and study more because asking here is not a bright idea

 

[Deeko]

Do more than just situps....leg raises, weighted crunches, ab crunch machine at a gym...like most muscles, you can get a much better workout in a gym than at home.

Edit: Today was my ab/lower back day in the weight room. Here is what we did:
Leg raises:
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 right
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 straight, 10 right
-20 straight
Crunches(on declined bench)
-10 left, 10 right
-10 upper half
-5 left, 5 right, 10 upper half
-10 upper half, 10 lower half
-20 full
Crunch Machine:
(i forget what we did exactly)

that was the ab workout...it does fairly well.

 

[ElFenix]

get rid of the fat over them by running.

 

[yobarman]

doesn't matter really, you NEED to lose body fat over-all, you can't spot train.


there's a good series on T-mag for ab training, i can't find it now cause they changed their format.

 

[mrCide]

only way to see abs is with low body fat %. if you're thin, then the best thing to do is weight resistance crunches, that's how my buddy got defined. if you're trying to do crunches and sht to lose a gut its not going to work, only proper diet and cardio will.

 

[LordMaul]

You want defined abs? Find a bar and hang from it, and pull your legs up till parallel to the floor. Do as many sets of 10-15 as you can. You'll be burning.

 

[SportSC4]

Depends on what condition the rest of you body is at, your diet, and what you are looking for (6 pack, flat stomach, general reduction in size, etc). answer these questions and i can help

 

[Deeko]

Guys he didn't ask how to lose weight, he asked how to get defined abs.

 

[Hammer]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get rid of the fat over them by running.

that's the key, my friend.

 

[SportSC4]

ok... well, for defined abs, it depends on how much muscle your abs have. How long have you been doing 200 situps a day? If it has been a long time, your abs have gotten used to the workout and you need to change your routine as your abs are not working as hard as they used to when you first started doing 200 a day. Diet is very important in defining abs, as much as working them out and doing cardio. The last place that fat resides is around your abdominal region, so if your arms, legs, back, chest, etc are not in excellent condition, well, then the ab region can only go so far.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Guys he didn't ask how to lose weight, he asked how to get defined abs.

Well i don't think he'll see the abs IF there's even the slightest fat over them... like me.

 

[boi]

RUN, RUN, RUN!!!!

 

[Maverick2002]

What everyone else said. Run. Total body workout. You have no idea how much you use your tummy when you run.

<-- had a sore stomach sometimes after CC

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Do more than just situps....leg raises, weighted crunches, ab crunch machine at a gym...like most muscles, you can get a much better workout in a gym than at home.

Edit: Today was my ab/lower back day in the weight room. Here is what we did:
Leg raises:
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 right
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 straight, 10 right
-20 straight
Crunches(on declined bench)
-10 left, 10 right
-10 upper half
-5 left, 5 right, 10 upper half
-10 upper half, 10 lower half
-20 full
Crunch Machine:
(i forget what we did exactly)

that was the ab workout...it does fairly well.

incredibly worthless
can we say overtraining?

Lower back, too, right? my ass

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: Maverick2002
What everyone else said. Run. Total body workout. You have no idea how much you use your tummy when you run.

<-- had a sore stomach sometimes after CC

yeah run....it's the best....slowly but surely my belly's going away hopefully...that is... if i don't get too lazy and stop runnig too..yeah running to class..aha

 

[beer]

For abs, on squat day I do oblique side-bends with 80-90 lb dumbells, 10 to each side. It helps me be more stable on my squats, since I am shaky when I break 350...and that's not a good feeling to have when you're going down.

On chest/tri and bi/delt days, I do decline situps with weight. But I actually applied some basic physics principles. You put a weight across your chest, it does NOTHING for your abs. You hold it behind your head, and your abs need to act as a lever against the weight. And what do we know about torque? T = Force * Distance. Your abs are having to apply more force given an increase in distance between the lever (your abs) and the weight. So, by holding the weight behind your head (I do 35 lbs for 12 reps), I can get a very full ab workout. They are defined although I am having to jump a weight class (165 to 181) so I'm kinda fat right now, but it's the middle of winter so I don't care.

The ab strength does help with my deadlifts. Now only if I had decent lats....

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Deeko
Do more than just situps....leg raises, weighted crunches, ab crunch machine at a gym...like most muscles, you can get a much better workout in a gym than at home.

Edit: Today was my ab/lower back day in the weight room. Here is what we did:
Leg raises:
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 right
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 straight, 10 right
-20 straight
Crunches(on declined bench)
-10 left, 10 right
-10 upper half
-5 left, 5 right, 10 upper half
-10 upper half, 10 lower half
-20 full
Crunch Machine:
(i forget what we did exactly)

that was the ab workout...it does fairly well.

incredibly worthless
can we say overtraining?

Lower back, too, right? my ass

I'm in a lifting program with a hallmate, its his program, he got it form his brother, who is a sports trainer. That wasn' the lower back part, we did other stuff for that. You wanna tell me my program doesn't work? I've improved drastically since we started, I gained 10-15 pounds of muscle since the beginning of January.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Having a low bodyfat and decent genetics will give you "defined" abs. Of course doing some weighted crunches, and maybe an oblique exercise will make your muscles "stronger" and with proper diet they will grow...but first thing you need to worry about is to lower your body-fat.

Doing 200 situps a day is overkill. If I were you I would do 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days a week. Do some weighted crunches 1 or 2 days a week......that'll work.

 

[webnewland]

I have been doing 200 situps for about 3 month now? and I do have a thin layer of fat on the top, but couple of friends been telling me that I can convert it into muscle, but that's not true?
Also I guess I got another quetion for cardio, gym doesn't really fit my schedule (trying to get into a genetics/microbi major), and weather here in Vancouver isn't ideal for a consistant outdoor running schedule. I have a bike, and free weights at home, would doing bunch of jumping jacks work for cardio?
Thanks

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Deeko
Do more than just situps....leg raises, weighted crunches, ab crunch machine at a gym...like most muscles, you can get a much better workout in a gym than at home.

Edit: Today was my ab/lower back day in the weight room. Here is what we did:
Leg raises:
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 right
-15 straight
-10 left, 10 straight, 10 right
-20 straight
Crunches(on declined bench)
-10 left, 10 right
-10 upper half
-5 left, 5 right, 10 upper half
-10 upper half, 10 lower half
-20 full
Crunch Machine:
(i forget what we did exactly)

that was the ab workout...it does fairly well.

incredibly worthless
can we say overtraining?

Lower back, too, right? my ass

I'm in a lifting program with a hallmate, its his program, he got it form his brother, who is a sports trainer. That wasn' the lower back part, we did other stuff for that. You wanna tell me my program doesn't work? I've improved drastically since we started, I gained 10-15 pounds of muscle since the beginning of January.

Ah, yes. The sports trainer. They know all. Those certifications mean so much.

I've heard so much bullsh!t from personal trainers it's not even funny.

"Oh, don't squat below parallel, it's bad for your knees!" (it transfers the weight to your ass, not to your knees...it puts the weight on your knees at parallel, so if you are having to change momentum at parallel that's when you mess up your knees)

"Oh, deadlifts are bad for your back!" (I strain my back more on squat day than I do on deadlift day because of proper DL form)

"Why are you doing sets of 2s and 3s? That does NOTHING!" <-- I'm not even going to touch this one.

Most trainers aren't even kinesiology majors. I wouldn't be taking strength advice from someone that is 6' tall and 160 lbs anyway, like most of them seem to be.

 

[LongCoolMother]

input: my abs suck. ive got little/no fat over them, but when i flex, the muscle only shows near the middle of my stomach and its very narrow. sure theres "six packs" but its not a REAL six pack. is there a way to widen it?

 

[Deeko]

well, the program is working very well for me, so i'm not complaining.

 

[Maverick2002]

Oh, and I'd like to add that IMHO strength training your abs/obliques is the stupidest thing ever. It's like trying to strength train your calves (from what I know to be the hardest worked muscle in your body). It's not really gonna accomplish anything. If you got fat over your abs, the only way they're gonna get "defined" is if you get rid of the fat aka lotsa crunches but I recommend running since that way you get the all-in-one deal. Run a lot. Then run some more. Then keep running. Strength training them (i.e. much weight low reps) is probably just going to make your stomach bigger; that is if it does anything to begin with.

<-- has a six pack cause I run. And have very low body fat.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Deeko
well, the program is working very well for me, so i'm not complaining.

And your abs will always be weak by doing it. You may be defined but that's low body fat %, not strength.