These are general recommendations based on my experience with clients, personal training, and myself. They're meant to be starting points, not strict rules.
Give this guide a read if you want to program for yourself.
Check out my 6 week abs program with 3 workouts a week that implement all these strategies.
Training Volumes
Here's what you need to know about training volume:
MV (Maintenance Volume): The least you need to maintain muscle.
MEV (Minimum Effective Volume): The minimum to see muscle growth.
MAV (Maximum Adaptive Volume): The sweet spot for long-term gains.
MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume): The most you can handle while still recovering.
MAVP & MRVP: These apply when you focus on one muscle group over others for maximum gains.
Example Volume Guidelines (for Intermediate Lifters):
MV: 0-4
MEV: 0-4
MAV: 4-12
MRV: 12-20
MAV*P: 16-24
MRV*P: 24-32+
*sets per week
These numbers are a starting point—track your recovery and adjust over time. If you're a beginner, you'll need less volume.
For abs, even zero direct sets can maintain them, as other exercises often engage your core. But for defined abs, targeted ab work helps.
Variation Tips
Use 1-3 ab exercises per session and 2-5 exercises per week. For example, train abs 3x a week with different variations like heavy machine crunches one day and hanging knee raises another. Keep exercise variety minimal to avoid burning out options for future cycles.
If an exercise is working, stick with it until it's no longer effective.
When to Switch Exercises
Knowing when to swap out an exercise depends on a few key questions:
Are you still getting stronger in it?
Is it causing aches or pains, especially in your joints?
Is it suitable for the rep range you're targeting?
Do you still feel a strong mind-muscle connection, or is the exercise getting stale?
If you're still making progress, feeling good, and it's working well with your goals, stick with it—even if it’s for a year or more. But if the exercise isn't helping you hit PRs, causes discomfort, or no longer fits your plan, it’s time to switch it out.
Range of Motion & Loading
Avoid cutting corners on range of motion just to make exercises easier. Fully contract and stretch your abs for growth. Adding weight to your ab exercises helps, aiming for a mix of heavy (5-10 reps), moderate (10-20 reps), and light (20-30 reps). Pair exercises to their most effective ranges. For example, machine crunches work across all ranges, while unweighted crunches may need to be loaded if you can do more than 30 reps easily.
Exercise Rotation & Training Frequency
A sample weekly ab plan could look like this:
Monday: Modified Candlesticks, 3 sets of 5-10 reps.
Wednesday: Reaching Sit-ups, 6 sets of 10-20 reps.
Friday: Hanging Knee Raises, 3 sets of 20-30 reps.
As you train, adjust volume based on what feels most effective and least fatiguing.
Lastly, your abs, like other muscles, benefit from 3-6 sessions per week. Rotate exercises to avoid overworking certain areas, and listen to your body to prevent injury, especially when performing compound movements like squats and deadlifts.
Periodization Overview:
Training is structured across several timeframes:
Repetition (1-9 seconds)
Set (5-30 reps)
Exercise (1-5 sets)
Session (2-6 exercises)
Day (0-2 sessions)
Microcycle (1 week)
Mesocycle (3-12 weeks)
Block (1-4 mesocycles)
Macrocycle (1-4 blocks)
Mesocycle Breakdown
A mesocycle consists of an accumulation phase followed by a deload phase. The accumulation phase builds progressively until Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV) is reached, which can vary from 3 to 12 weeks based on the individual’s experience level. Beginners may require up to 12 weeks to reach systemic MRV, while advanced lifters may only need 3-4 weeks.
The deload phase is designed to reduce fatigue and lasts about a week. During this time, volume and intensity drop to allow for recovery.
Training Progression
Start each mesocycle at or near your Minimum Effective Volume (MEV) and increase intensity weekly by adding weight while keeping reps stable. Let your Reps in Reserve (RIR) decrease from 3-4 to 0 by the final week. If you can’t add weight, add reps while staying within your targeted rep range. Once you hit local MRV for a muscle group, reduce the volume for recovery and gradually resume normal training.
Systemic MRV, indicated by signs like reduced sleep quality or appetite, signals the end of the accumulation phase, prompting a deload.
Training Block Structure
A training block consists of multiple mesocycles with a unified goal, such as muscle gain or fat loss. As you progress, training variables like frequency and exercise selection are adjusted to optimize gains. Frequency generally increases as your MRV rises throughout the block, and lighter exercises may be introduced to manage fatigue.
After completing a block, take 2-4 weeks to deload, reduce frequency, or even take active rest before starting a new block. This ensures you’re ready for the next training phase.
Training Modalities
Straight Sets
Performed with 0-4 RIR, straight sets allow for full recovery between sets. They're effective for abs, particularly in loaded exercises like machine crunches and weighted sit-ups.
Down Sets
These are straight sets with 10-20% less weight. They help maintain high rep ranges and proper form but aren’t commonly used for abs, which recover quickly.
Controlled Eccentrics and Pauses
Slowing down the eccentric phase and adding pauses improves technique, mind-muscle connection, and exercise safety. This is especially effective for ab exercises, ensuring the spine properly flexes and extends rather than engaging hip flexors.
Giant Sets
Giant sets focus on total reps (e.g., 60 reps with 100 lbs over several sets). These help hone technique and mind-muscle connection, making them great for technically demanding ab exercises.
Myoreps
Like straight sets, but with shorter rest between sets to target high-effort reps. Ideal for abs, since they have few limiting synergists, making myoreps useful for exercises like V-ups.
Drop Sets
Similar to myoreps, but with weight reduced between sets. They save time and are great for finishing off abs with exercises like machine crunches.
Pre-Exhaust Supersets
Starting with isolation exercises, followed by compound movements, pre-exhaust supersets aren’t commonly used for abs due to the lack of compound ab exercises.
Occlusion Sets
Occlusion training uses restricted blood flow to focus on local muscle fatigue. However, it’s not practical for abs.
Lengthened Partials
Training muscles in their lengthened positions can stimulate extra growth. This can be incorporated into ab exercises by adding partial reps at the end of a full ROM set.
While the ideal set volume for muscle growth is well-established, what about training frequency?
Training frequency refers to how often you work each muscle group. Research suggests training each muscle group 2 to 4 times per week is optimal, as opposed to dedicating an entire session to one muscle group. This approach allows you to distribute volume across multiple workouts, which has key benefits.
The main advantage is avoiding "junk volume." Junk volume occurs when fatigue from earlier exercises causes later sets to be ineffective. For example, during a long leg session, by the time you reach the final exercises, your performance may suffer due to fatigue. Spreading out your volume over multiple sessions minimizes this, helping you maintain quality in each set and potentially allowing you to accumulate more effective volume as long as recovery is adequate.
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