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Midsection deveopment

fit2fight

By fit2fight
in Bodybuilding & aesthetics

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fit2fight Junior member

fit2fight

Posted
Posted

Ok, I have little fat on my midsection as it is, but not show stopping abs. I want push it to the next level entirely. I want to train my entire abdominal area to be really extremely above average.

So i'm after peoples opinions on the best way to do it. Excercises, frequency, Weight used or not, everything!

Just let me know how YOU think you do it, or how you've seen it done.

Thanks alot team! :clap:

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musclenz Veteran member

musclenz

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Got to use weight IMO. Cable crunches, decline crunches with a plate on ya chest, ab machine, hanging leg raises, incline rack leg raises. The last 2 not being weighted but using leg weigh can target the lower abs & finish off an ab workout. then its nutrition & cardio to bring em out.

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Matrix Member

Matrix

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I agree with Muscle NZ.

For many years I never used weight and although my abs stayed defined, they were not that large or deep.

Now I train them just like every other muscle, with resistance and rep ranges drom about 6 to 15 and they have improved alot.

The only area I would be reluctant to use weight on would be my obliques which can have a greater ability to hypertrophy if resistances are used.

I find if you do enough squatting, deadlifting and overhead pressing your obliques can get quite alot of indirect stimulation anyway.

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Android Veteran member

Android

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I don't whether weight is good or bad (doesn't help you decide does it :-|)

Reason i say this is I used to use weight, medicine balls, plates etc and this year I never touched a weight and my abs are ... well I think they're better than they used to be. I don't train abs off-season so for 9 months of the year they're not touched so not sure how much of the past 'weighted ab training' helped with this year's unweighted ab training. Confused? I am too but I won't be using weights next year on them either.

I find less crunching and more horizontal work has helped build my abs up and make then stick out more. Lying on a swiss ball and pulling your self up slowly is not only harder than a crunch it's working the sheath of ab muscle under the 6 pack and in my opinion makes your abs look better in a relaxed pose. Same goes for the 'bridging' exercise, both face down and each side.

I've been to more comps as a spectator than as a competitor and the people that blow me away are those that walk out on stage with abs and they're not even flexing. It's about conditioning but those blocks of steel stand out with the training I describe more than crunches will help imo.

post-2764-14166819058728_thumb.jpg

I've done the crunches, leg raises, situps routine for years and every time someone wanted to see my abs I had to crunch them to show them the 6-pack. Not anymore I don't because of the lateral training I just described they are 'turned on' without crunching. I don't know the technical term for what I mean sorry, just know it produced what you see in less than 3 months with nothing done 9 months prior.

When I do work abs I do crunches, I do sit-ups, I do leg raises, and I only do them in a 15-min abs class twice a week at City Xpress. I don't do a single session at any other time I promise so I am doing what they tell me to do in the abs class.

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Android Veteran member

Android

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Sure, there's a few similar ones to this one. (And that's as far forward as you need to go too, squeeze like hell and after 6 reps you can feel the muscle under your 6-pack light up).

post-2764-14166819058847_thumb.jpg

Don't let people tell you this puts your back in a bad position, it's less hyper-extended than a hyper-extension. Just watch it when you get tired abs as they work hard to not let you fall back further which is imo the risky position, so going to failure is not an option just stop 1 rep before that happens.

Other ones are feet on the swiss ball and top part of body out like a press up and you roll your feet towards your body and tuck it under, and then out again straight.

Another is like the pic shown but feet on the wall, man that's a killer if you go back horizontal and try and lift yourself up. Get used to rolling off to the side sometimes and onto the floor :-)

For obliques I do something that at first is embarrassing but over time you get stronger and can do 1 rep or more. You lie on the floor sideways like you would do an oblique raise on the hyperextend machine, except there's no foot hold to use to lift your self up. Everytime I do this (after no abs for 9 months) I can't do a single side raise. I push myself up and let myself down under gravity...it's embarrassing to not be able to do one. Then session after session you can squeeze one out, then 2, then a few more over a period of weeks until you can do 20+.

Another I do is balance on a half ball they have in the gym and people stnad on them sometimes and do light squats. I sit on it and do like a scissor where my legs are up and my head is up, then I might get someone to throw me a medicine ball back and forth, or do twists or something. First few times I am always rolling off onto the floor.

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Android Veteran member

Android

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totally, fat smooths them out and they're always there.

If you want average abs just lose the fat and water and bingo, your average abs are there. I think he wanted above average abs though so he's looking for something to build them up and out I presume ...

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Optimass Veteran member

Optimass

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I only condition abs in season. Off season is for livin large and the key to good abs is to drop your body fat - I train them the same as any other group.

My favourite exercise is affectionately know by my clients as the "Wheel of Death" ---

(Nice abs Android by the way :clap: )

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Optimass Veteran member

Optimass

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Ive got an ab king pro for sale if you're interested? :grin:

Seriously though Optimass, that Ab wheel looks the business. Combine that with the swiss ball and you're sorted. :dancing:

IMO - the single most effective pc of equipment under $15 - value for money!

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musclenz Veteran member

musclenz

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I don't whether weight is good or bad (doesn't help you decide does it :-|)

Reason i say this is I used to use weight, medicine balls, plates etc and this year I never touched a weight and my abs are ... well I think they're better than they used to be. I don't train abs off-season so for 9 months of the year they're not touched so not sure how much of the past 'weighted ab training' helped with this year's unweighted ab training. Confused? I am too but I won't be using weights next year on them either.

I find less crunching and more horizontal work has helped build my abs up and make then stick out more. Lying on a swiss ball and pulling your self up slowly is not only harder than a crunch it's working the sheath of ab muscle under the 6 pack and in my opinion makes your abs look better in a relaxed pose. Same goes for the 'bridging' exercise, both face down and each side.

I've been to more comps as a spectator than as a competitor and the people that blow me away are those that walk out on stage with abs and they're not even flexing. It's about conditioning but those blocks of steel stand out with the training I describe more than crunches will help imo.

[attachment=0]DSC06752.JPG[/attachment]

I've done the crunches, leg raises, situps routine for years and every time someone wanted to see my abs I had to crunch them to show them the 6-pack. Not anymore I don't because of the lateral training I just described they are 'turned on' without crunching. I don't know the technical term for what I mean sorry, just know it produced what you see in less than 3 months with nothing done 9 months prior.

When I do work abs I do crunches, I do sit-ups, I do leg raises, and I only do them in a 15-min abs class twice a week at City Xpress. I don't do a single session at any other time I promise so I am doing what they tell me to do in the abs class.

Nice definition in a relaxed pose Android. I agree with you that for finishing your mid section you need to work the underlying abs. Just lying on your back on the floor & pulling your abs down into the floor can do this & of course what you do on a swiss ball, roller etc. There are so many variations. But I still think you need to use weight to get the bulk & the cuts in the abdominals. Then you refine them with your exercises & reduce calories & BF to get them out. You are right about them being important on stage. An IFBB judge told me that he judges from the mid section out. It is the first thing he looks at. I'm not sure if this is policy or not perhaps some of the judges here could enlighten us.

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jesses Member

jesses

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yeah dude everyone loves abs. personally i train mine twice a week, one day as a heavy day, 15-20reps, other as a light day, 25-35+ reps. I do 3 exercises each day, one for upper abs, one for lower and one for obliques. I dont really stick to any particular exercises just run with what I feel needs work on the most that day.

these include high cable crunch, weight crunch, glute-ham sit ups, decline bench sit ups, oblique twists, oblique crunches (roman chair, swiss ball or standing) rugby sit ups, weighted knee raises (hanging or in the chair thingy that has no seat and lets your legs hang, hip thrusters, dragon flags, planks in all directions. Also so that I dont know the name of but generally a wide variety to get all parts of the abs including the muscles you dont see.

So i personally would recommend 3 different exercises on 2 different days, training your abs different ways to bring the best out in them

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