Daily abs!

Hey! I've just started doing some abs a week ago...60 per day is OK for me right now.Are you doing something else? I'm planning to make some kind of routine, so I could excercise more than only the abs.
Do you have any ideas or recomendations? I don't have any money to spend on this, so gym is not an alternative
Keep strong, and sorry if I mispelled any word!

 

Actually, no muscle should ever be worked out every day. It will a) hardly give you any good and fast results and b) cause an injury eventually (worst case scenario). It's counterproductive. You see, muscle growth happens during the time of rest, after you gave the muscle a stimulus to do so through your workout. Rest is absolutely vital (same goes for a protein-rich diet to aid the body in building muscle). Most sources say you should give your muscles at least 48 hours before working them out again. So even abs should only be worked out every other day. Plus, since we're talking about abs, I'd like to point out that no amount of sit ups or crunches, no matter how hard you work out on your abs, it won't melt the layers of fat that hide them. 1000s of repetitions are not good either. It's best to have 4 sets of 14 sit ups or something like that. Getting ripped (especially getting a sixpack) happens in the kitchen, not in the gym.

Other than that: Great thread and great timing. I just decided to pick up my little home workout routine + protein-rich / low-fat / low-carb diet again (have been on a hiatus since Christmas break). Took photos and measured my body today, and plan on taking photos every day from now on + measure my body once a week or fortnight or month or so. Don't worry, I won't be posting those photos here or anywhere else

Sorry for bitching around. I don't mean to come across as an annoying wisecrack.

 

What Dr. Jekyll said is great regarding 'starting slow'. Otherwise you risk burning yourself out and hating the entire process.

A great routine overall I would say is the Armstrong Pullup program. You do not need any equipment; a pullup bar can be found around most parks (of course you could buy one for $10-15 as well - I still have mine after having bought it 5 years ago, and it's proven really useful!).

Plus, pullups are also a great way to build your abs since you need to keep your entire core tense throughout the repetition. You could also hang from said bar and lift your legs up and down, which in essence is a purely abdominal exercise.

The only problem for me are the pushups, as I personally believe doing 3 max sets doesn't really help improve my number. The most useful in this case was a 'greasing the groove' approach, or doing a submaximal set at an interval throughout the entire day (e.g. each 15 minutes, each hour). But you could also try the same approach as with the pullups in the program - pyramid sets, work sets etc.

 

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm starting slowly as you said, but trying to be concistent.
Yesterday I've made some kind of routine, switching thorugh abs, Push Ups and Squats, just to start with something I'm confortable with, but I'll try the Armstrong Pullup program when I feel more confident (maybe in a week or two).
Today I'm starting the second week of abs and other stuff, and in these little period of time I feel better, making a few more everyday is encouraging me.

This is a great way to think about it Dr. Jekyll, and maybe is the same think that makes me start. The daily win condition is great for me, but to think about the long-term results is the key.

I'm sorry if I mispelled some words, this is my first time in a forum, and my english is not really good...
I spend like an hour to post something.

 

Great idea! Now take and do this every time you feel triggered as well. Maybe it can help with that as well. I read that on another post and thought it was a good idea too.

 

That is awesome! Keep up the great work! Stay strong!