Should I use weighted exercises to train my abs? How many sets and reps should I do?

Hi Mitch,

There is no 'proof' or even good evidence that one form of ab training is better than another for building a great six pack. I know bodybuilders and fitness athletes who have virtually perfect abs who train them once per week or sometimes only in the weeks before competitions. I also know guys who train them every single day but their abs are no better than some of the 'once per week' guys.

Bodybuilding training incorporates the use of abs in many exercises that don't just work the abs directly and as you put on muscle elsewhere on your body, your ab muscles grow and strengthen also, so direct ab work is actually probably over-rated for building a six pack...and at low enough body fat, you will probably have at least decent abs even if you don't train them directly.

Genetics is actually the most important factor in deciding how good your abs look. Some guys only have one or two rows of ab muscles instead of three. Some guys don't have any rows - this is just genetics. Many women don't have distinct rows of abs either - for some reason this is more prevalent in women.

Having said all of that, your abs will probably look better if you train them two or three times per week for the first few years of your training and then down to twice or once per week after you've achieved a certain level of development. If you are training for mixed martial arts or some other sporting purpose, you will often be better off training them three times per week - and adding weight for much higher resistance will be more important to contributing to your sporting performance but any more than three times per week is probably a waste of time in my opinion.

If I were you, I would combine higher-rep sets with lower-rep, weighted sets. Most muscles respond best to a mix of high-weight, low-rep and low-weight, high-rep exercises.

For a real 'killer' ab session, try James St Leger's famous ab workout that he did with Kris Gethin (it crippled Kris for nearly a week)...but only if you have strong abs and have been training hard and consistently...

Check out the utube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCjla_PgK-M

Thanks for your reply mark!