Hope I'm not asking something that's in a sticky I believe that it's okay for one to do ab work on a daily basis, as opposed to letting major muscle groups rest for a day in-between...right? (if not, please correct me!)

and if that is correct I was wondering why? like what is different about the ab group that it is OK to work them daily, do they heal and rebuild more quickly?

just wondering

I've heard people a lot more knowledgeable than me say no, it's not OK to do abs every day and yes, they are like every other muscle group and need a day off. The head trainer for all of Ballys gyms even told us that if you do abs every day, you'll cause micro-scarring in the muscle that will never let the muscle extend and contract correctly. That convinced me!

Every other day is fine. If you want to get rid of the fat on your stomach, cardio is your best bet for fat burning. Ab work will strengthen the muscles underneath the fat but, unfortunately, can't get rid of the fat layer on top. We all have six packs already but they're buried on most of us.

I have a very scientific method ... if they still hurt, I don't do them again

The abs are like any other muscle groups in the body the eccentric contraction of the exercise causes the break down of the muscle, during the next 24-48 hours which 48 hours is the most typical for experiencing DOMS delayed onset muscle soreness your body is repairing these muscle fibers to be able to overcome the stresses that were placed upon it. A lot of people like to refer to this as the SAID principle which stands for "Specific Adaptation to imposed demnads" while that being said another thing to look out for is that muscle glycogen deplenishes during exercise and takes about 24-48 hours to also recovery completely. I hope that helps you understand the physiology behind hypertrophy. =)

Thanks so much for asking this question VermontMom!

So funny b/c I was thinking of this today - I have been doing my abs everyday but all other muscles only 3 times a week... Guess I'll cut back on my abs (no complaints from me there )

heehee - I think I wanted someone to tell me 'don't do them everyday' also Thank you all very very much for the input and info! I knew I'd get answers here