The most common question I get asked has to be 'How many times a week do you train your abs?'

There are so many different views on how you need to train your abs to gain size as well as definition. The most over-looked factor has to be diet..... you can train your abs for years and still never get a 6-pack unless your diet is on point. Your body fat has to be low enough for them to show through. The upper abs are the most dominant and we generally hold more fat lower on our stomachs making it harder to get the lower abs out.

I personally train my abs 1-2 times a week depending on goals, for roughly 45min a session. When I'm in a bulking phase I train them once, and when cutting I train them twice. I only train them once while bulking purely for the fact that I'm looking to gain some thickness to them so recovery is key. When cutting I hit them twice, once heavy and weighted (reps around 8-12) like I do when I bulk, and a second time much higher reps and more cardio based exercises (reps around 12-20).

Another massive factor when training your abs is technique. It's key you engage the core throughout every exercise and keep the tension where we want it to be. It's too easy to let other muscles take over the exercises so focusing on the core every rep is crucial.

At the end of the day if you are breaking down the muscle, letting it recover and have low enough body fat you will improve your abdominals.  For all my ab workouts join the team today by clicking on my Complete Cutting Plan

I get asked a lot by you guys about how to improve a certain area of your physique.

Personally if I'm looking to improve a particular part of my body I aim to incorporate another session focused on that area. Incorporating different exercises, reps and tempos are key & it's all about finding what works for you.

I see people training the same way over and over and expecting change. If something isn't working and you have hit a plateau then you need to make a change. Try mixing up muscle groups and moving away from the ordinary. 

Here is what I have recently done to help improve my chest:

Chest Day Session: I mainly focus on lower chest so more decline work using various pieces of equipment (DB, Barbell, Cables, Machines)

Shoulders & Chest Session: Within this I am focusing on Shoulders but adding in some incline Chest work. I aim to pre-exhaust the Shoulders so when it comes to hitting my Upper Chest I will have to recruit more muscle fibres from my Chest to lift the weight.

I will do both of these session in one week. I mix up the reps, sets and tempo but always keep structure by rotating weeks. 

There are many ways to train and make progress and that's why I love lifting. Always stay open-minded and willing to try new things,  This is how you will gain the best results.

Too often I hear of people not sticking to their training or diet, or even both, which leads them to get erratic and less than ideal results. Seeing progress is key to staying motivated towards your goals.

Only by staying devoted to both your training and your diet, will you see the results you want and should be getting.  When you hold back and put half the effort into your training and diet then you will only gain half the results. 

I hear the saying its '70% diet and 30% training', and use these words myself, so although I agree with it up to a certain point, it can create a mind set that is not always about aiming for 100% in both. I don't know anyone who has a great physique that only puts in a bit of effort here and a little somewhere else. To gain the best possible RESULTS it's all or nothing. 

It's not about 1 good day or even 5 good days but about making it into a healthy lifestyle.  It can't feel like a chore and must be made into something you just do. The gym isn't something you can do for a while, gain some results and then just stop, it's about being CONSISTENT!

It all comes down to what you are trying to achieve, and how much you want it.  If you want the best results then you have to put the work in EVERYDAY.