Train abs. Don’t train abs, they get hit enough with squats and deads. Do weighted crunches and leg raises. Don’t do crunches or leg raises, your hip flexors take over. Do planks they strengthen the core. Don’t do plankd they are bad for you. Train abs once a week like any other muscle. Train abs three times a week. Blah blah blah…
I’ve searched and searched. All these damn contrasting opinions about ab/core/oblique training have been the reason I haven’t trained abs in months. Let me mention that as of now I do not bb squat fixing a problem, however i do partial deadlifts.
So let’s talk ABS. Not bodyfat. Having low bodyfat does nothing for small flat ass abs.
I’d be curious to know if any of you have seen NOTICEABLE improvement by directly working abs. I guess this can be hard to judge though because bodyfat plays such a huge roll in ab definition. Im about to add in a great deal more ab work, hopefully it works.
[quote]TD54 wrote:
I’d be curious to know if any of you have seen NOTICEABLE improvement by directly working abs. I guess this can be hard to judge though because bodyfat plays such a huge roll in ab definition. Im about to add in a great deal more ab work, hopefully it works.[/quote]
Nope, no difference in my abs when I do direct work for them. I feel my abs working the best through heavy front squats and weighted chins.
Weighted chinups also work the hell outa mine. I also feel them working bigtime when I’m straining on bench press. BTW, not training your abs because you don’t think you know the “correct” way to train them is stupid. I also do weighted crunches and knee raises. I wouldn’t obsess over them. Because it DOES come down to bodyfat and if you DON’T have the muscle, you shouldn’t expect to see much. My abs have grown fine with the rest of me so far.
Ok guys good stuff. So bonez you have great abdominal cuts good to hear advice from you. What do you mean by weighted crunches? Using a rope, db, on the ground, decline bench?
Those dragon flags look challenging def something to add.
Also, what twisting motion do you recommend?
Declines with a plate on your chest every day you do push work. Reverses with the same plate every day you do pull work. Planks (front and sides) every day you do leg work. This is in addition to the squats and weighted chins you’re already doing. Make it a habit. Build a sick, powerful core.
I never do cruches laying down or on a bench. I use the lat pulldown tower.
For twisting I prefer a “russian twist”. Lay on a decline bench. Sit up half way so your torso is perpendicular to the bench. Hold a weight out in front of you arms fully extended and twist back and forth making a full 180 degree path with the weight.
I stopped doing crunches because I heard that they will cause the spinal cord’s disks to become herniated over time. That, and they never felt “right” for my body when I was doing them… something always hurt somewhere, usually in my back.
Just wondering what anyone’s thoughts on that are.
[quote]Intermezzo wrote:
I’m thrilled someone else has come across all the same contradictions when it comes to ab training as I have.[/quote]
lol yup. this is something Ive been wondering about as well.
I used to do them once/cycle like everything else, but then I got to the pt of fuck it, I’ve got enough of a base and I’ll just leave them alone. But I’ve been a bit conscious of them lately and think I will start training them again. I don’t want baby abs
[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
Gotcha on the twists bonez, but as far as the crunches do you do them on your knees? Not sure how ya would do em on the lat pulldown[/quote]
I sit on the seat facing the wrong direction with my feet out in front of me. Like sitting in a chair. You can control the ROM by bending at different heights on your midsection. I keep the weight controlled at all times, thats about the only guideline I have.
[quote]Nate86 wrote:
I stopped doing crunches because I heard that they will cause the spinal cord’s disks to become herniated over time. That, and they never felt “right” for my body when I was doing them… something always hurt somewhere, usually in my back.
Just wondering what anyone’s thoughts on that are.[/quote]
I hear you dude. Every time I do sit-ups (well, used to) I would wake up the next day with my right lower back all tight and screwed up. I don’t know if it was an erector or QL but… fuck sit-ups.
I wonder nobody mentioned cable crunches (on a pulldown machine with a rope, or kneeling on the floor) yet. I love them. Otherwise, the same as “everyone” does: hanging leg raises, weighted crunches, planks.
I began to directly train my abs (paired with lower back work) and found, that I no longer need to use a belt on squats-front squats and military-push presses. (I still use a belt on rows, though)
So, I do notice a difference both in performance and in looks.
But I’ve seen guys with deep-cut and powerful abs without doing any direct work for them (apart from heavy-ass squats-deads-presses). So, I suppose some people can haz great abz without training them directly, whereas others need to pay more attention to them.
the most I ever feel my abs “work” is when i do ab roll outs or if i do single arm DB bench pressing… Thats when I feel my abs most… but I dont do them all that often
idk why, but when I do BB preacher curls i contract my abs super hard. Especially if i do a drop set. just doing 4 diff weights on the dropset (probably 5 minutes work) i’ll wake up the next morning more sore than some 30+ minute ab work.
Also, I feel my abs a lot when i do farmer walks with the hex deadlift/shrug bar.
My biggest concern is the Body weight vs weighted ab work contradiction. There are some amazing results from guys that just do BW type exercises (leg raises, hanging knee raises, etc.) and equally impressive results from guys that swear by heavy ab training.
I think the key to good Abs development is heavy static contraction training, which is why exercises like squats/chinups/abs roll outs work them so well. Movements that have the Abs contracted for as long as possible during the negative portion are great.
High reps (e.g. 15+) did nothing for mine, in fact, it made them smaller!
IMO, high intensity is key for thicker/popping out abs.
[quote]gregron wrote:
the most I ever feel my abs “work” is when i do ab roll outs or if i do single arm DB bench pressing… Thats when I feel my abs most… but I dont do them all that often[/quote]
This, I have been doing single arm DB presses pretty regularly because of shoulder issues and they really seem to hit my abs well, espescially with heavier weight.
