I’m always on the look out for a way to get something for free. So when the lovely young lady with the great abs and even better other side started trading secrets a few weeks ago I was all ears, and eyes, and, well, yes I admit it - Testosterone. I had remarked that I never saw her doing a real ab work out and yet she had about the best abs in the gym. That got a smile out of her and a great tip for me. Seems she had taken a long look at gym habits and found that most of us spend just as much time resting between sets as working out. That led her to ask how she could make the best use of that dead time. What she came up with is so simple yet so practical it makes me want to cry. She uses that time between sets for her abs. SOOOOO Simple. A set of heavy and a set of abs as a rest exercise. I maybe old, and I’m not the brighest light on the Christmas tree, but I can see a good thing when it jumps up and bits me on the butt. I’ve been trying her idea for several weeks now and guys BINGO!!! it works. I wont go into how I used to be to tired for abs after a real blasting work out, or else found some lame excuse to avoid doing abs. Now they just flow during the coarse of my workouts. OK sounds silly BUT IT WORKS and after all isn’t that what its all about?
Yes, Through observation that smart young woman discovered one of my famous training techniques. It can also be used for lagging body parts. Sergio O used it to improved the separation in his thighs and he wnt on to win Mr. O. One tough Marine, nickmnamed Captain America, use to jope rope between sets. He set several records in the numbers of continues pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups. Signed Joe Wheatgerm The Master Trainer
Arnold has written about this before too in his Encyclopedia. Old idea, but a good one.
Good idea, but I wouldn’t use it for relative strength training. Why? Because you’re supposed to be resting up for that next big deadlift.
I can’t stand the “down time” aspect as well so I do something between sets. Sometimes it’s abs, sometimes it’s lunges around track (if I’m on an upper body day), sometimes it’s bench dips (on lower body days). I think it’s a great way to get a lot done in a relatively short amount of time.
I find that my abs look best on day 3 of a really bad cold. The constant flexing of coughing really brings them out!
Yup, TEK was right that Aw-nold has spoken about this “technique”.
But I'm on the side with Ike: I got no time to perform abs in between sets of heavy squats, deads, benches et al. Gotta use that time to set up and prep for my next set, plus I'm spotting in that so-called downtime. Better to focus than get all "gallywampus" with my training by flying from a set of abs and then right back to squats or deads.....
That’s not so new. Thats Weider principle 23.