One of the most popular workouts, ab exercises are loved all over the world by men and women alike. And for good reason – they are easy to do at home, you can find hundreds of variations online, and they help you strengthen your core and achieve a better physique. However, while almost all people agree about their effectiveness, not everybody agrees as to how often you should do them.
So, how often should you train abs?
Overtraining Consequences and the Benefits of Rest
Although it seems that more training always means more gains, experts suggest quite the opposite. Training every day and not allowing your body to rest may be detrimental to your fitness goals. Studies show that resting and giving your muscles time to recover is as important as breaking them down in the gym.
Another issue you may encounter if you don’t rest enough is overtraining syndrome (OTS). Research shows that overtraining is caused by high levels of stress without enough time for regeneration, which can cause fatigue and decrease performance.
How Often Should You Train Abs?
Just like any other muscle group, abdominal muscles need a chance to recover before you can hit overload again. And, while two days a week probably won’t have a dramatic impact on your physique (although it’s still better than not working out), most studies agree that between two and five workouts a week is the optimum.
Final Word
If you’ve been asking yourself how often should you train abs, we hope this article helps. As always, listen to your body and make your own decision. If you feel like five workouts a week is too much, cut down to four and give yourself another day of rest. On the other hand, if you feel like three workouts a week doesn’t do anything for you, increase the workload and see how it goes.
