A couple of questions, thanks for your time..

[scotty1]

Hi, quick answers will do if you can't be arsed:

1/ What's the rule for putting on muscle? Is it 1g of protein for every pound or Kg of bodyweight? Because one is a lot more than the other....

2/ I am under the understanding that you should not lift weights, do pushups etc. everyday. Does the same apply to crunches? Do your abs need a day to recover from crunches?

Also, if you're abs are just one muscle (which we all know they are) why is that muscle not called your ab?
;)

Oh yeah, and does anybody know if there's any muscle above your sternum, cos my abs are hard, but the bit above them but still below my chest is not.

[ged]

ive heard a theory that your calves and abs are the only muscles that you can work out each day... buggered if i know if its true or not tho.

[scotty1]

Last week I did some horse stance on Tuesday which really kicked the arse out of my calves, if that's possible, and then I tried to do my run the next day. ****ing waste of time mate, couldn't run without my calves feeling like they were on fire.

So I'd say no that isn't true, wish it was tho cos my calves could do with the attention. Thanks for responding Ged.

[NPMantis]

1. Remember muscle is only 30% protein, just make sure you eat plenty of Carbs and Protein after and don't forget you need more than just protein to gain.

2. I think it's more of a personal think abs, I prefer to train them a few times a week, but I have friends who train them every day with really good results - just try and see what works best for you!

Hope this helps a little,

take care,

NPMantis

[scotty1]

Thanks NP Mantis. :)

[Kumkuat]

Originally posted by scotty1
Hi, quick answers will do if you can't be arsed:

1/ What's the rule for putting on muscle? Is it 1g of protein for every pound or Kg of bodyweight? Because one is a lot more than the other....

2/ I am under the understanding that you should not lift weights, do pushups etc. everyday. Does the same apply to crunches? Do your abs need a day to recover from crunches?

Also, if you're abs are just one muscle (which we all know they are) why is that muscle not called your ab?
;)

Oh yeah, and does anybody know if there's any muscle above your sternum, cos my abs are hard, but the bit above them but still below my chest is not.

1. Eat a lot, and it's like 0.8 - 1.0 gram of protein for every POUND of your weight.

2. Abs are muscles too right? They are not a special, VIP muscle, they're just muscle. They need rest and stuff too.

3. Dunno, because we put a 's' on every part anyway. ie pecs, quads, bi's, lats, tris, calves, 'bliques, traps, etc.,

4. I'm pretty sure that there is no other mucle between your pecs and abs. Besides you would think the bench and/or whatever ab work you do would hit them anyway. Maybe you just have big breasts or something.

[scotty1]

"Maybe you just have big breasts or something"

LOL!! Yeah that's right man, I just tuck them into my knickers when I'm training!! LOL!!

[IronFist]

1/ What's the rule for putting on muscle? Is it 1g of protein for every pound or Kg of bodyweight? Because one is a lot more than the other....

I've heard both. I've also heard 1g per pound of LEAN body weight (which means if your bodyfat % was 10, and you weighed 100lbs, you have 90lbs of lean body mass (LBM)). If you are actively trying to gain muscle, like a bodybuilder, I say 1g per lb of bodyweight. And a gallon of water per day.

2/ I am under the understanding that you should not lift weights, do pushups etc. everyday. Does the same apply to crunches? Do your abs need a day to recover from crunches?

Abs and calves are exactly the same as any other muscle. The reason people say you can do them differently from other muscles is because they don't know what they are talking about.

It's possible to lift weights every day (same muscle) and make progress. I deadlift 5 days per week, and have been making awesome gains in strength, but I'm not going for size. You can do it every day if you keep the overall volume low. I do 2 sets of 5 reps (or less) with 5 minutes between sets. It is possible to do this every day and make strength gains.

If you are training to build muscle mass, like bodybuiding for example, then you will not be training the same muscles every day. Mass oriented workouts tear down a large percentage of involved muscle fibers, and therefore the muscles need time to heal before they can be trained again.

The abs every day thing comes from the spot reduction myth and high reps and a bunch of other stuff. If you are doing a few sets of 15 or 20 or 50 or whatever crunches every day, and you have worked your way up to that to the point where you don't get sore the next day, then you could probably do it every day, but you wouldn't be making much progress. You might gain a little endurance, but you wouldn't get any strength from it.

The general rule is, if a muscle is sore do not train it. Let it heal COMPLETELY before working it out again.

Also, if you're abs are just one muscle (which we all know they are) why is that muscle not called your ab?

Rectus abdominus = abs. Your biceps have two heads and your triceps have three heads. People call them bi's and tri's. (btw, it is correct to say "the biceps on my left arm." There is no such word as "bicep" or "bicept" as you hear a lot). Maybe abs are called abs because someone saw it was divided into 6 sections and didn't know that it was all the same muscle.

Oh yeah, and does anybody know if there's any muscle above your sternum, cos my abs are hard, but the bit above them but still below my chest is not.

I don't think so. Someone (maybe it was you) asked this a week or so ago. Check an anatomy chart, but I don't think there is a muscle there.

IronFist

[scotty1]

"The reason people say you can do them differently from other muscles is because they don't know what they are talking about."

I love this guy
:)

Strictly in a training advice / advisee way of course :p

[scotty1]

Sorry to keep going on Iron, but :

"If you are doing a few sets of 15 or 20 or 50 or whatever crunches every day, and you have worked your way up to that to the point where you don't get sore the next day, then you could probably do it every day, but you wouldn't be making much progress. You might gain a little endurance, but you wouldn't get any strength from it. "

What is is we are training our abs for, is it strength?
If so, even if you CAN work your abs everyday would it be better not to, would your stomach get stronger that way?

What I'm looking for is for my stomach to be hard as hell, like armour over my midsection. I thought that was why abs are so important to MA. Plus for the twisting actions, which are helped by having strong/hard midsection.

Plus a six pack would be nice. And before you say it, I know, I've got fu(k all bodyfat. :)

Thanks for your time dude, and everyone else who's cared to answer as well. Its all appreciated.