What does science have to say about exercise?
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The more total weight you lift, the faster your muscles grow. If you can lift more weight over a longer period, that's better than lifting less and getting pumped.
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The more you space out your sets, the more reps you can do. (This is what Pavel Tsatsouline calls greasing the groove. Doing cluster sets allows you to bust out extra reps in a workout.)
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You can probably build the same amount of muscle with low, moderate or high rep exercises. Do whatever helps you move the most weight. But know that heavier weights carry a higher injury risk.
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Muscles are typically strongest at their rest length.
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Strength and flexibility go hand-in-hand. Larger muscles have a larger rest length, and are more stretchy. A good way to increase stretchiness is probably to exercise close to the limit of a muscle's ROM. (See reverse nordic curls.)
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All other things being equal, you probably can't get stronger without making your muscles bigger. Neuromuscular effects on strength are small. Having said that, a larger person can still be weaker than a smaller one.
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Muscle cells can have more than one nucleus. The larger they are, the more nuclei they have. If you stop working out, your cells shrink, but maintain their nuclei. This allows them to grow back faster.
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Faster reps are better than slow ones for building muscle and strength.
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Over the course of a day you burn pretty much the same number of calories no matter what. Doing 1000 kcal of exercise will not increase your energy expendure by that much. If you're already active, it may not increase it at all.
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The number of abs you have is genetic. Whether you have a six-pack, four-pack, or eight-pack is determined by the number of tendinous bands in your abs. Sometimes they can be asymmetrical. There's nothing you can do about it.
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Planks aren't a great exercise for building abs. Surprisingly, the ab wheel is.
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Jump rope is a great way to increase your cardio, as well as bone density in your lower limbs.
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Creatine is good for you, helps you build muscle, and can be taken indefinitely.
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Most people probably need to eat a caloric surplus to put on muscle. Beginners and overweight people might not.