I’m down to about 10% body fat and my abs are starting to peak through. I’ve been doing Chad’s TBT, but haven’t been doing direct ab work. Just wondering if and what ab work other do. Also, how often?
- Larry
I suck them in everyday when I put my pants on.
That’s about it.
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
I’m down to about 10% body fat and my abs are starting to peak through. I’ve been doing Chad’s TBT, but haven’t been doing direct ab work. Just wondering if and what ab work other do. Also, how often?
- Larry[/quote]
If your abs are just starting to “peak through” you are higher than 10%. More like 12% or so. I would like to know how you check your body fat, I do think you are off.
As far as ab training. I used to train abs like a mad man, then I realized that two things: The first, if I trained Pull-ups or Chin-ups and cocked my knees just the right way my abs would be flexed during every rep. Secondly, If you want your abs to show you do it through diet. Eat smart!
Deadlifts, heavy.
I find that’s all I need.
one time when i was on a safari and a rhino rammed me i got a really good ab workout.
Sure, diet is important, but abs are a set of muscles, and if they aren’t developed, then what are you showing?
About once/week I do abs, several different moves with minimal time between them. I try to do 15-20 minutes straight of ab work.
I’ve been tested a few times with calipers. When I say just peaking through, I probably was incorrect. I don’t have a 6 pack, but you can see them. My goal is to get to 8-9%. Seem like the only fat I have left is in my love handles and belly.
Aesthetics not being my goal, I do lots of ab work in all different planes.
Yeah I do. Currently, after I do legs I do a triple set of:
*Leg grip crunches
*Swiss ball leg raises with 10kgs strapped to my ankles
*Overhead Swiss Ball Crunches with a 7.5kg plate.
That leaves me sore for a few day in de abs.
Leg grip crunches are when your partner stand as solid as he can, you wrap your legs around their waste and then start crunching. They look a little gay, but are great for leg strength and ab work. Good for grapplers too, you get a lot better at keeping ppl in the guard.
[quote]TShaw wrote:
Sure, diet is important, but abs are a set of muscles, and if they aren’t developed, then what are you showing?
About once/week I do abs, several different moves with minimal time between them. I try to do 15-20 minutes straight of ab work.[/quote]
true, but direct quad work (ie. leg extensions) are not as good as big compound movements taht include the quads (ie. squats)
if you are short on time, skip the crunches, and go hard on DLs
Since I’m doing CW’s TBT, I’m doing squats/front squats and DL/sumo DL a few times a week. I guess I’m hitting my abs pretty good then. Just need to keep up with the diet. Today I started week eight of CW’s TBT…I didn’t feel like doing abs or anything else after I was done. 3 x 18 kicks my butt big time.
Deadlifts kill my abs. So do squats. I don’t know why - but they do.
If you want strong abs then squats and deads are not enough. Hit your abs hard with standing crunches to all angles and different types of weighted sit ups, side bends and rotations and your squat and dead will skyrocket. And Rainjack your abs wont be sore after squats and deads.
If you want to squat heavy you should train abs. Squats and deads both require a good core for bracing, and the abdominal cavity is that core. The muscles of the abs create the walls of the core. Thats why the squats and deads work the abs. If you inhale and try to push out with your diaphragm ( like trying to push out a tough poop)you will see what I mean. To weight train my abs I use the upper pully on lat mach. I tied a loop in the middle of a twelve foot piece of rope, with that as the handles I do seated bends, standing bends, and twists. This seems to help a lot.
It also makes for an impressive set of abs.
[quote]pookie wrote:
I suck them in everyday when I put my pants on.
That’s about it.
[/quote]
Shit… I just spit out my beer (have to give that up in two weeks…)!
Ahh… I suck mine in too. I like to refer to it as a “standing plank.”
Until I start Velocity, anyway…
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
I’ve been tested a few times with calipers. When I say just peaking through, I probably was incorrect. I don’t have a 6 pack, but you can see them. My goal is to get to 8-9%. Seem like the only fat I have left is in my love handles and belly.[/quote]
Sorry, but no one with 10% body fat has “love handles and a belly.”
Janda Sit-ups, windmills, hanging leg raises (much harder than you think, if you try to keep your elbows TOTALLY locked, use no momentum, not lean back, and go all the way to the bar), and dragon flags. Ahh, dragon flags… I should do more L-sits, too.
I train abs every workout- which is usully 4-5 times a week and Ive seen great results. Each day I try to mix the volume and exercises up and weight. I target the lower abdominals first then blast the uppers. Favorite exercises are hanging leg/knee raises, cable crunches and power twists. Heavy weight, low rest time works for me to build the peaks and valleys. But some people like high reps, low weight. Its all what works for you I guess.
I just got tested with the electrode body fat instrument and was 14%. So I dont buy into the fact that youve got to be less than 10% BF to have sick abs. Eat right, blast your abs like you would your arms or chest or legs and trust me, youll be straight.
[quote]ironbat wrote:
I train abs every workout- which is usully 4-5 times a week and Ive seen great results. Each day I try to mix the volume and exercises up and weight. I target the lower abdominals first then blast the uppers. Favorite exercises are hanging leg/knee raises, cable crunches and power twists. Heavy weight, low rest time works for me to build the peaks and valleys. But some people like high reps, low weight. Its all what works for you I guess.
I just got tested with the electrode body fat instrument and was 14%. So I dont buy into the fact that youve got to be less than 10% BF to have sick abs. Eat right, blast your abs like you would your arms or chest or legs and trust me, youll be straight.[/quote]
You’re right to a point - you can have fantastic abs with high BF%. You won’t have VISIBLE abs though 
[quote]Sxio wrote:
Leg grip crunches are when your partner stand as solid as he can, you wrap your legs around their waste and then start crunching. They look a little gay, but are great for leg strength and ab work. [/quote]
What the F???