I asked this on another thread but no one read my whole post or answered this part of it, is 3 days a week of ab work enough? I am going to do Richard Simmons ab tape 3 days a week on the same days I lift weights on my (apparently worthless) weight machine. I tried the Leslie Sansone you can do abs video but it doesn't actually have very much ab work to me.
I also would like to know if anyone uses creatine. If so how much and when. I am 2 weeks in to lifting weights and am conisdering trying it but am absolutely clueless about it. I read some stuff online and it made some sense but I want to hear from someone that actually uses it.
And as a totally unrelated question am I the only one who does not feel like they fit in at all here? I ask questions sometimes and they never quite get answered and/or it just gets ignored. I see where people have read it but no one cares enough to answer. I read on some posts and am kind of surprised at how rude and angry people get to other peoples opinions. If I ask advice and I don't like it, does it give me the right to tell them that they are stupid and how dare they say that to me when I asked for their opinion? I feel like such an outcast here most of the time, am I the only one?
If I have a question should I ask one question per post?
Does everyone actually read the whole post before answering or just read a little and throw whatever they want to say out there?
I think I can hear something swiftly approaching a fan, sigh.

Bravelilchicken,

Some times people don't know the answers, so they read and wonder what a response will be. Also, there have been so many new users recently due to the Oprah magazine article that even our long time users are getting lost in new posts. I don't read all the posts here but I try to read what I can and I'm finding that I can't read or respond to as many posts as I would like to.

1) Ab work - It really depends on your overall workout. Sometimes, you don't need to specifically work your abs because other workouts will give your abs a good enough workout. You can work your abs every day or you can work them out once a week.

2) I use weights but I have no reason to use creatine and unless you are a body builder, then you probably don't have a reason to use it either. I really don't know much about it but from what I've read, I don't feel I need it nor do I think most people do.

3) As for advice you don't like? Well everyone gives advice based on their experiences and from what they can tell in your posts. I'll ask for advice myself, take peoples comments into consideration but use what is really applicable to myself. Sometimes people post about subjects that are sensitive to them and different personalities can reply to those posts. Some people are blunt, opinionated, concerned, etc and they reply how they see fit. Sometimes the person who originally wrote the post can get their feelings hurt but I don't think anyone replying to the posts means for that to happen. I would say take what you can from those that respond and understand that this is a virtual environment so it may come across differently than if you were sitting and talking to someone.

Bravelilchicken --

I just wanted to say that I read your post, but really don't know the answers to your questions. Under most circumstances I would not have responded. That's how you can get a lot of views and not a lot of responses. It's not that people don't care, but don't know, or want to see what others say! If you look around, you'll see that this happens to threads all the time. They get many many more views than replies. So, it's not just you

Though, as I re-read your post I realized I can comment on at least one of your questions. My trainer recommends doing "core" work every other day or so, which about corresponds to your 3x/week. I know nothing about the videos.

Thank you guys for answering, I knew there were a lot of new people, but I thought it was just me I didn't realize that 3FC had been in a magazine. Nelie - is that you in your avatar?? And if it is has anyone ever told you you look like Lauren Graham?, because you do. lol

please do not use creatine. you will put on weight from it if you aren't SERIOUSlY trying to build muscle to bulk up. there is no reason for you to take that. no one should take it as far as i'm concerned.

3 times a week sounds good to me, I'd opt against the creatine, and I personally cannot keep up with all the posts on these boards.

I am sorry, but I'm not sure how to answer either. Except with your so called "worthless" weights machine. Do you feel the workout? Do you think there are changes/differences? If yes, then it's not worthless at all.

Take heart - get to posting in a couple of regular forums, you get to know people a bit better, and they might be more apt at posting replys.

Kylie

I had to search to find this thread. I for one, have read it several times but had nothing to offer. But ... I found this ....
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/articl...00cee793cd____

Can only answer the abs question. Abs are like any other muscle--they need rest in between workouts to let the muscle fibers build. So doing ab work three times a week (assuming you're not doing it three days in a row) would be fine.

It is absolutely overwhelming at times to keep up with all the posts... Miss one day, like I did yesterday, and BAM, I'm on the computer for 2 hours trying to reply to everyone that I possibly can... So please don't take it personally, k?

Working abs 3x is great!

I would'nt use creatine either because it will make you gain weight, I think what it does is plump your muscles with water to make them look bigger... I may be wrong about that though, but I do know that it makes you retain water... I've been weight training seriously for 20+ years and never felt the need to take creatine, but I do take L-Glutamine to help the healing my poor sore muscles and I find that it works very well...

I hope this helps please keep, posting you'll get used to all the different personalities... I know I did