You’ve heard: For flat abs, you should work them every day.
The truth: Like every other muscle group in your body, your abs need time to rest and recover. “Training a muscle causes the muscle to break down, and it is during rest that it is allowed to repair and rebuild itself,” says Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist and author of Beat the Gym.
While crunches, planks, and other abs exercises have their benefits, there is no need to do hundreds of reps or perform them every single day. If you really want to do something positive for your abs every day, focus on your eating habits. “Abs are made in the kitchen, not by crunches,” Holland says.
Bottom line: Train your abs like every other muscle group, allowing time for recovery. And be sure to follow a diet that will help you see the results of all your hard work.
