Ab Tips
Washboard Abs. We ALL want them. That’s what sells! 90% of those gimmicky infomercials you see on TV are selling some sort of machine to give us the abs we’ve always wanted. But guess what? You can do ab exercises till the cows come home, but if your awesome washboard is covered with fat, it won’t look any different!!
That’s right! I’m back to nutrition again! “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym”. Have you heard that quote? Well, it’s true! Your abs will start to show up once your body fat drops below about 10%, and you will see more and more as the body fat continues to drop. You will go from a KEG to a 2-PACK to a 4-PACK to a 6-PACK, and even the illusive 8-PACK if you get your body fat very low. It’s really that simple! No crazy machines needed.
But it’s still very important to work the abs and core muscles as part of your workout routine, because core strength is the key to balance and control while doing other lifts / movements. So don’t think you can just skip that Ab Ripper X or Cardio Abs in exchange for skipping a meal!
How often should you workout the abs? This is a GREAT question, and I’m asked it quite often. I think Tony Horton nailed the answer to this question on his 1-on-1 video called “Killer Abs”. In that video, Tony is asked by Mason (his cameraman):
Mason: “How often should you do an ab workout like this?”
Tony: “Once or twice per week. That’s all you need.”
Mason then responds with a quesion: “You don’t need to do abs every day?”
Tony: “That’s stupid! Do you do chest every day? Do you do back every day? Do you do calves every day? NO, NO, NO! So why would you do abs every day!”
Mason: “Well, I shower every day!”
Tony: “Thank God!” … and then he proceeds to begin the second half of the Killer Ab workout!
Classic! It leaves me laughing out loud every time!
That conversation pops into my mind everytime I am asked about how often to do ab workouts, and it’s PERFECTLY TRUE!! Plan on 2-3 ab days per week. No more, no less. More is overkill and won’t give you better results. Less will lead to a weak core.
I love how Tony makes things simple for us … and funny too!
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It seems on my recovery week i lose the abs a little and when i come back to the workout they seem to be harder to get the full reps in. Is this the same for others or am i just weak and blind? =D
That is so true Wayne, also one of my favorite parts of the One on One series. I think my favorite one is: “Diamond Delts, babe, don’t get too close or you might get cut?”
Going back to the ab business, I have a friend who just bought one of those shocking belts. Such a waste of money. In the meantime, he eats whatever doesn’t move on the dinner plate. :)
SO true Wayne! My ABS ‘magically” appeared when I just lost weight…not because I hit the weights or did hundreds of situps! Now what is great is that doing ab ripper 3 times a week you start to see growth in your abs just like you see in other parts of your body! It is addicting!
Thanks for the tip. Thats important to know as I design my Insanity Workout/P90X/1-on-1 Hybrid workout.
When I tell people that e-mail me that they need to loose body fat, eat better to see the abs they usually don’t write me back. Most don’t want to hear it. I’ve found the younger the person the less discipline they have or are willing to do. I get a lot of “I can’t do the diet”. Or “I won’t do the diet. “. Or my favorite, “I’m already skinny so don’t need a diet”. People, don’t confuse “Skinny” with a low body fat%. I’ve seen a lot of “skinny fat people”.
I’d be curious to know how people measure their body fat.
I have a scale and calipers. The calipers tend to measure lower body fat on me.
What is your body fat % and how do you measure it (to anyone that will answer)?
To ProjectSamson,
I use an electronic scale that gives me bodyfat percentage as well as hydration level, muscle%, and bone%. It’s been far more accurate than the hand held type. They both work by sending a pulse through your skin and measuring response time, however the scale figures in your level of hydration which is key when determining the other measurements. As of this morning my results were:
weight: 145.2
Fat: 8.8 %
Hydration5: 61.7
Muscle%: 44.5
Bone% 5.3
Mine is a Homedics brand but there are other good brands out there, just ensure that they measure your hydration level as well as the other figures and you’ll have some pretty consistent readings.
I use a scale that uses bio-electric impedance to measure body fat %. The measurement will vary greatly during the day. I try to measure at the same time of the day (right after my workout) to be consistent.
Over the last 60 days, my body fat % has dropped by 9% and I have gone from the full keg to the pony keg. Looking forward to the tall boys and then the six-pack to come!
Coach, I am 5 foot 8 and weigh 126 lbs. What type of diet (Fat shredder, 40/40/20, etc) should I follow to get the abs? How long do you think it would take me considering I am not heavy? Also, would this cause me to lose weight and be less than 126, considering I am light I don’t want to lose so much that I have to see a doctor?
Mike, if you are looking to maintain your weight, you’ll need to eat the required calories from the guide (if you run a calorie deficit you will lose weight). But the reason you don’t have “the abs” yet is probably body fat. Your body fat has to get low enough that the abs start showing. To lose body fat while maintaining weight, you’ll need to build lean muscle, which is definitely possible, but you’ll need to commit 100% to the workouts and the nutrition. I’d say to go with the 40/40/20 ratio.
Do you think I should follow your 1900 cal diet? How many calories should I be taking?
Hey Mike! How many calories does the Nutrition Guide calculate for you to take? That’s what I’d recommend for weight maintenance.
Okay. How long will it take for me to see any abs?
Mike, as long as it takes for your body fat to drop low enough to see them. That varies from person to person.
Hey Aron Thanks for the tip about the scale wth fat % i’m geting one. But were?
Coach, Thanks for the ab tips. It makes sence to me. Get the body fat % DOWN!!!
Coach Wayne,
Should people use the excuse that their bodies are just not meant to have abs and thats their reasoning for not having any? I hear alot of people tell me that they eat right, workout for years and years but they never have abs and believe it’s because there bodies wont allow low bodyfat.
Hey Dylan, we all have different body types, and some may be more predisposed to carrying body fat, but no, I don’t buy it! I never saw my abs in my life until I did P90X. And I bet you’ll find the reason is the nutrition. People say they “eat right”, but that’s very subjective. If people will track everything they eat, they will find that maybe they aren’t eating as “right” as they thought!
I would have never guessed it was possible for me to get a low body fat, but when I committed to everything you see me talking about in these articles, it happened.
Coach,
When doing ab ripperX I get alot of cramping. Is this normal, and is there anything I can do to stop this?
Dave, it can be if your core strength isn’t up where it needs to be yet. If that’s the case, keep doing your best and it will get better as you get stronger. The other cause of cramps in general is electrolyte or nutrient deficiency, but if that were your case you’d notice it with all workouts. Keep bringing it! Ab ripper x … I hate it … but I love it! LOL!
hi coach, i am in my third week of p90x and i am finding quite difficulty with my ab ripper x because after the workout my body is fully crashed and i am barely able to do it but i have done ab ripperx on my cardio days after my workout and i was able to complete it with full intensity..so should i keep it with cardio or should i try with my lifting days
Hey Raunaq, you can switch ARX to your cardio days if that enables you to complete it better. It makes no difference if you do it right after the lift days, right after the cardio days, or later in the day at a different time. Just be sure you do it!
thanks coach
Hey coach if I’m at the weight I want to be at (but I haven’t lost all my body fat) is it a good idea to keep the fat shredder ratio 50/30/20 but not run a calorie deficit or would it be faster to loose the fat if I run a deficit?
Hey Matthew, it would be faster to run a deficit to lose the body fat (see my more recent article “body fat vs. bulk” for more details on that). But yes, you are on the right track by doing the fat shredder plan. Don’t worry about weight. Focus on body fat for now.
Coach Wayne, should I do Ab Ripper immediately after my lifting workouts on P90X? It plays after each workout. I was wondering if I could do Ab Ripper in the morning or maybe 15-20 mins after I get finished lifting to recuperate a little.
Hey Patrick, you can do it immediately after the lift workout (that’s what most do), but it’s not required. You can just as well do it before or at a different time, but be sure you do it that same day.