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Abs Offseason

soundsgood

By soundsgood
in Bodybuilding & aesthetics

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soundsgood Veteran member

soundsgood

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Im in Bulking mode at the moment and hit every other muscle group except my abs. I still hit my abs slightly in other exercises but I dont do any Ab specific exercises. I was only planning on starting to nail them maybe a month out from the start of my cut cycle leaving me 4 months to get them right. Last year I hit them for 4 months - 5 days a week and they came out okay.

Is this a silly idea? Should I be working on them year round?

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Small Senior member

Small

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idk wat other peoples opinions are on this but i never did squat or deads till around august last year-before that i jus had a split where abs trained everyday, or every second day. I have had more growth on them from those two lifts alone than any isolation work ever gave me

i think direct intense ab training is for just before comp to get that defination

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1day Senior member

1day

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i didnt do abs last yr until i started cutting for comp (which i regret) , cause IMO i think its like any other muscle in the fact that ,if u dont work it ,it anint gona be big etc. so this yr i doin them once a wk so i can hopfully get some growth in there wile bulking. :lol:

+ still looks cool after u train them, even when bulking they manage to push threw to remind u they still there :pfft:

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1day Senior member

1day

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2-3 times per week imo

:-s would that not be over working them, as you use them in most other excersices inderectly nearly every training day?

i find when i give hem a direct workout i have to allow the same recovery time as any other muscle group (cause they ache like crap) :shifty: :pfft:

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weener lad Senior member

weener lad

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2 may be 3 times per week (hardly ever 3 :pfft: ) smash them on random days whenever I have time left. Generally I use a mix of exercises like hanging oblique crunches, swiss ball crunch and cable crunch ect ect.

Abs are like other muscles so they do need working but you need to remember they should be getting worked if you are using good technique in other primary exercises.

Its just my opinion but it has worked really well for me :nod:

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Pseudonym Veteran member

Pseudonym

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I'd never trained abs particularly hard, since they were something that responded pretty well for me. But over the last six months, I've been even slacker than usual with them - hardly doing them at all. Now I've finally got myself lean enough to where I should be able to see my abs, they've shrunk significantly. Not impressed! :evil:

So yeah, keep doing them (if only just a little bit) even in the offseason.

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musclenz Veteran member

musclenz

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Abs are just another muscle group that need to be worked with weights, to make them grow, at least once PW off season using cable cruches, declined crunch with a plate on your chest, ab machine etc. Sure DLs & squats hit them as well but I believe you still need isolation work. Then coming into comps or a cutting phase you might add some definition work on the ab rack or swiss ball, hanging leg raise blah blah, as well you will be on a strict diet & doing extra cardio.

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nicksmith3 Senior member

nicksmith3

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Abs are just another muscle group that need to be worked with weights, to make them grow, at least once PW off season using cable cruches, declined crunch with a plate on your chest, ab machine etc. Sure DLs & squats hit them as well but I believe you still need isolation work. Then coming into comps or a cutting phase you might add some definition work on the ab rack or swiss ball, hanging leg raise blah blah, as well you will be on a strict diet & doing extra cardio.

Ditto

For my 1st 8 months of training i done 30 minutes of weighted ab work every day, five days a week. (I didn't realise back then, abs don't show unless you have a low bodyfat % :pfft: )

Now after 16 months of training (my entire time spent lifting) they are still chunky, (see pic) which i just run a maintenance routine once a week, involving various weighted crunches and twists. ;)

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musclenz Veteran member

musclenz

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Abs are just another muscle group that need to be worked with weights, to make them grow, at least once PW off season using cable cruches, declined crunch with a plate on your chest, ab machine etc. Sure DLs & squats hit them as well but I believe you still need isolation work. Then coming into comps or a cutting phase you might add some definition work on the ab rack or swiss ball, hanging leg raise blah blah, as well you will be on a strict diet & doing extra cardio.

Ditto

For my 1st 8 months of training i done 30 minutes of weighted ab work every day, five days a week. (I didn't realise back then, abs don't show unless you have a low bodyfat % :pfft: )

Now after 16 months of training (my entire time spent lifting) they are still chunky, (see pic) which i just run a maintenance routine once a week, involving various weighted crunches and twists. ;)

They are excellent Mate. Proves that our theory works. Just got to watch with weighted crunches etc, that the hip flexors are not taking up too much of the tension off the abs, but I think this is more relevant in the pre contest phase of ab training where you are trying to get out max definition.

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nicksmith3 Senior member

nicksmith3

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Abs are just another muscle group that need to be worked with weights, to make them grow, at least once PW off season using cable cruches, declined crunch with a plate on your chest, ab machine etc. Sure DLs & squats hit them as well but I believe you still need isolation work. Then coming into comps or a cutting phase you might add some definition work on the ab rack or swiss ball, hanging leg raise blah blah, as well you will be on a strict diet & doing extra cardio.

Ditto

For my 1st 8 months of training i done 30 minutes of weighted ab work every day, five days a week. (I didn't realise back then, abs don't show unless you have a low bodyfat % :pfft: )

Now after 16 months of training (my entire time spent lifting) they are still chunky, (see pic) which i just run a maintenance routine once a week, involving various weighted crunches and twists. ;)

They are excellent Mate. Proves that our theory works. Just got to watch with weighted crunches etc, that the hip flexors are not taking up too much of the tension off the abs, but I think this is more relevant in the pre contest phase of ab training where you are trying to get out max definition.

Agreed! 'Gives a high five' \:D/ :pfft:

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nicksmith3 Senior member

nicksmith3

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Agreed! Nick your Abs are so chunky, they are awesume!

Can you give me a rundown on the programme you used to get them that good?

Sure bro. I can tell you what i did for them.

The 1st months when i didn't know any better i was doing this setup for 30 mins with approx 30-50sec rest periods.

Weighted Crunches 4 x 20-25 (holding a dumbell on my chest)

Standard Crunches 4 x 50 (lying on mat, working on pulling the rib cage to hips)

Weighted Cable twists 4 x 15-20 (Standing in a lunge type position and focusing on rotating your upper on your hips)

Washing machine's 4 x 60 (using a long wooden pole, put it over your shoulders -arms out, keeping your lower steady rotate your upper around like a washing machine ;) )

During the weighted crunches i started at a 10kg dumbell and i have worked my way up to a 22kg dumbell. That's where i would say i've developed the 'chunky' look from. As for the all the above movements, keeping your midsection flexed at all time and under tension is nessicary.

As for how long i now train abs. Once a week, for about 10-15 mins. I also now, superset them with other bodyparts to keep my time in the gym down.

Cheers! :D

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jesses Member

jesses

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Mate some nutters train them every day that is over training, every 2nd day I think is a bit much too, twice is nice :nod: Quite a lot of people train abs and calves twice per week.

haha guess im one of those nutters everyday for me 10-15minute ab circuit with no rests. 1 exercise for upper abs, one for lower, one for obliques. pretty much my only rule is never do the same exercise twice in a week.

i must point out that im not a strict bber as such, i do muay thai so i have very intense workout sessions usually finished by beating the shit out of some poor boxing bag

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nicksmith3 Senior member

nicksmith3

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Mate some nutters train them every day that is over training, every 2nd day I think is a bit much too, twice is nice :nod: Quite a lot of people train abs and calves twice per week.

haha guess im one of those nutters everyday for me 10-15minute ab circuit with no rests. 1 exercise for upper abs, one for lower, one for obliques. pretty much my only rule is never do the same exercise twice in a week.

i must point out that im not a strict bber as such, i do muay thai so i have very intense workout sessions usually finished by beating the shit out of some poor boxing bag

You're a martial arts athlete? So wouldn't you be aiming towards more strength than size?

So what are you doing fatiguing your core by working it everyday?

As i've mentioned above, my abs are now maintained each week by simply having one day where i do 'some' ab work.

It really doesn't achieve much slaughtering away at that muscle group everyday.

Just trying to save you some effort, so you can put all that energy somewhere that you're going to benefit from.

Cheers! :D

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jesses Member

jesses

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yeah getting endurance and power in my core found the best way is everyday with a big variety of exercises.

training for endurance with a bit of size at the moment moving onto strength/plyometric work in just over a month

i suppose you could call me a martial artist/fitness freak

my trainers real pleased with my progress tho :D

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nicksmith3 Senior member

nicksmith3

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Washing machine's 4 x 60 (using a long wooden pole, put it over your shoulders -arms out, keeping your lower steady rotate your upper around like a washing machine ;) )

Cheers! :D

:-s what section that work dude??

It's an overall stretch exercise. You should feel it in your obliques and deep core. It works well for a last finishing fatigue exercise.

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