One of the most important components of an athletic and toned figure are the abdominal muscles. Their presence significantly improves your physique visually and gives your figure a certain aesthetic look.
We’ve talked many times about how to build and reveal the abs muscles. In this article we will talk and consider in detail the issue that worries a fairly large number of people, namely, how many times a week you need to train the abs. Before we begin to analyze this issue, let’s take a look at the anatomy of the abs so that you can understand the basics.
Anatomy of the abdominal muscles
So, this muscle group consists of several muscles that play an important role in human body movement. They play the role of flexors of the torso and spinal column and are antagonists (opposite muscles) of the muscles that extends the spine and torso.
The rectus abdominis muscles play the role of flexors. If there is a bilateral contraction of the core muscles, the oblique muscles are included in the flexion process. In addition, the oblique muscles, which are located on the sides of the abdomen, are involved in the rotation of the torso.
The work involves the part towards which the person makes a turn. Also, the core muscles play an important role in breathing. In addition to all of the above, they play an important role in holding the abdominal girdle by creating intra-abdominal pressure.
That is, if a person’s abdominal muscles are in good shape, all the organs of the viscera are in place.
Nutrition has an important role in visible abs
First you need to understand that the abs are just the same muscles as the biceps, triceps, pectorals and all other muscles of the body. In order to build the abs as well as to make them visible, it’s not enough just to work out. In addition to working out, you need to follow the correct diet if you don’t want all your efforts to be in vain.
The problem is that human body is designed in such a way, that the abdominal region is where most of the fatty deposits accumulate (in men). Such excess weight in the abdomen can be classified into two types – subcutaneous and internal fat (also called visceral fat ).
Subcutaneous fat is the fat under your skin, the one that hides your six pack. Visceral fat is a more dangerous enemy than visual fat, since it can directly affect a person’s health. Read more about it here.
Even if you train the abs 24 hours a day, every day, you simply won’t achieve any result in terms of any visual improvements. That is, working physically, you will strengthen the abdominal muscles, build additional muscle mass, but from a visual standpoint – the result will not be visible.
The key to getting a perfect and sculpted abs is the percentage of subcutaneous fat in the body, which can be measured using various methods and devices. Absolutely every person, without exception, has abdominal muscles. Someone has visible abs, others have abs hidden underneath a layer of excess fat.
The problem, again, is that this muscle group is hidden behind the fat layer, which must be burned off in order to make your abs visible. In fact, the most important factor of getting the perfect six pack is nutrition. So no matter how many times a week you work your abs or how long you work them, a good diet is what will reveal them.
Despite the fact that nutrition is the most important factor that you should give priority to, exercise should not be forgotten either. Exercise makes your core fit, firm, builds muscle mass. It just so happens that these core muscles recover quickly enough, and therefore, to make strengthen your core, abdominal workouts must be intense and regular enough.
So in order to give them a good workout, you need to train your core 3-4 times a week. A good practice is to train your abs on training days, at the end of your workouts since you’ll be already warmed up and ready for an intense ab session. If you don’t know hot to start we suggest to take a look at some of our ab workouts below.
– 4 Core Exercises For Killer Abs
– 3 Exercises To Help You Develop Those Stubborn Lower Abs
If you are interested in what you are supposed to eat to burn the layer that’s covering your abs check these articles:
How many times a week should you train your abs – final words
What conclusions can be drawn from all of the above in this article? Basically, you should train your abs 3-4 times a week after your workouts and devote the rest of the time to rest and recovery. Eat better, sleep enough, and keep a daily routine. And finally, if you want to have a sculpted abs, you need to aim for 9%-10% (or lower) of body-fat.
