I don't know if it works the same for women, but my abs get thick easy as in build muscle quick it makes them stick out farther. So I don't hit them very hard on their own just high reps. I used to think that if I worked them to the max like the rest of my body it would make them look cut but it just made them bulkier like I had a gut. You still need them strong to support your torso on your squats and deads but dont kill your abs like I did. I used to do crunches with a 120lb dumbbell on my chest.