Abs

[munk]

Hey guys didnt really know where 2 put this but guess here will do

Anyway was wanting to know some good exercises to really hit the abs currently i try to do my abs most workouts, currently my ab exercises are

3 x 12 Straight leg raises,

3 x 12 medicine ball crunches

3 x 25 crunches

3 x 60 second prone holds

[Marven Yacoub]

Yeah sounds good, try add some broom twists and rope crunch pulldowns

My ab workout

3x 25 crunches

3x 30 rope pull downs on comfortable weight

3x 15 leg raises

2x20 each side, broom twists

[GymBunni]

Hey, i am not sure if u will recognise these excercises but i went from flab to - verging on 6 pack : ) and i do my abs with a few lowerback excercises because as u prob know - its important to strengthen for your training - safety etc, um and also my obliques as well. I do :

heel taps - 1min

obliques twists ( thats the bicyle like one) - 1 min

supermans ( for lower back) - 1 min

dorsal raises (lower back) - 3 x 20 with holds after every 5 reps

obliwue twists

med ball twists

Prone hold 1 min ( put one foot on the other and swap at half way)

Side prones ( 30secs each side) 2x each side

dead bugs with med ball ( 3 x 15)

lying lateral twists

med ball twists again

mid cruchs ( at 3 diff levels - 30secs each level)

back extension - 3 x 15 - holds at every 5 reps

This is just what i do and i know its not exactly what you were after but jsut thought it might give you some ideas - im sure someone else could explain this better lolz - dont start my pt course till next feb so am not a pro yet lolz - o and im a chik so it may be bit too easy for u lolz

gd luck dude : )

[Phedder]

Deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, pull ups/chin ups. Nothing quite like trying to keep a shitload of weight stable. Weighted prone holds and planks etc are great too. Functionally abs are most often used for stabilising other movements, so I figure may as well train them in that manner as well. Sometimes I'll throw in some weighted sit ups with twists at the top. If you're wanting visible abs that comes down to diet and bf%, no amount of ab workouts will get your abs to show through a thick layer of fat.

[GymBunni]

Good point phedder - i get so many people asking me how to get a toned stomach koz they know im always at the gym and am getting results but they think doing a few sit ups will do the trick haha not quite - as you said you could have a rocking 6 pack...... hiding underneth a whole lotta fat - comes down to diet as well

[Big_Ben]

squats.

[weener lad]

PHEDDER is bang on the money.

If however you still want to throw in some ab exercises pick one or two of them and do them to failure.

ie Swiss ball crunch = forget the numbers just go till you can't go anymore, then repeat.

[Pseudonym]

Are you from the high-rep school of thought, Weener? I prefer to add weights so I fail around 12 reps, personally.

[nate225]

I'm with Phedder on this but to supplement I do Abs/Core twice per week and add a shitload of weight so some sets are as low as 5 reps. That said I want my abs to be stronger rather than pretty little bumps! :grin:

[Chemo]

one sided weights (unilateral)

cable crunches and woodchops

2 birds with one stone, and just keep your core engaged whilst doing your weights, I always forget but you can feel it when you do.

[Elite121]

as far as I know the Rectus abdominis is a phasic muscle , anaerobic and responds better to heavier weight and less repetitions say 8-12. It doesn't make any sense to me to be training with high repetitions IMO it 180 degrees in the wrong direction.

I am okay with crunches but not from the floor, unless you want to end up looking like a human woodpecker..... then there is the issue of forward head posture leading to hypertonic facilitation of respiratory muscles, etc... that is commonly associated with a poor abdominal training program.I take a different approach to training the abdominals, addressing lifestyle issues is just one of the pieces of the puzzle.

[rose]

Find a good body paint artist :grin:

Or

Lift Heavy Shit (aka do the big compound moves). The rest is just Spot Reduction Fluff IMO, with the exception of perhaps functional exes like weighted declines and side bends. But anything over 8 reps is whack. Go heavy instead. 8 is teh gateway number to evil :shock:

Things like dragging a heavy sled, pulling cars, picking up large rocks and tyre flipping are good too. There's also Hurling Heavy Shit, Highland Games styles...

[Draft]

As a side point, I'm following one of Joe DeFranco's training model's at the moment which has me doing core circuit training.

An example: sprinter sit-ups, V-ups, toe touches, hip thrusts. Perform 10-20 reps of each exercise and go through the circuit 2-3 times. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.

I feel a bit stupid since I have always admonished people and their 1000 crunch philosophy but Mr. DeFranco would know a shit-ton more about these things that me. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that my core strength was letting down my squat.

[rose]

my core strength was letting down my squat.

Maybe the reverse is true?

[Draft]

Are you saying my core could be dominating? About a year ago I gave up pretty much all direct core training so I wouldn't think it would be that but I may have hugely missed your point.

In any event, please explain further, I'm intrigued!

EDIT: I realise it is entirely possible that other areas of my squat are weak/I have shit form if that is what you meant :pfft:

[Beowulf]

I was told treat it like a house

you want to hit the front the back and the obliques then lock it down with a twist.I personally would recommend throwing in some overhead squats aswell but as Phedder said lowering BF% is arguably the most important aspect

[Elite121]

I was told treat it like a house

you want to hit the front the back and the obliques then lock it down with a twist.I personally would recommend throwing in some overhead squats aswell but as Phedder said lowering BF% is arguably the most important aspect

Yes but the house is only as solid as its foundation my approach is to train the core from the inside out inner unit to outer unit, many will disagree but I'm just sharing with what has worked with my clients.

[steak]

squats, deads, bench

[Big john]

squats, deads, bench

"likes"

[Gym rat]

I use to train but now I dont bother with them

[weener lad]

Are you from the high-rep school of thought, Weener? I prefer to add weights so I fail around 12 reps, personally.

Not really but it does sound that way :pfft: Personally I know what works for me which is heavy cable crunch 20 reps, 5 sets @ 95kg and swiss ball side cruch 3 sets 20 per side.

I don't have a particular philosophy just train a body part till it fails, abs are no different. However they do get worked all the time when doing other exercises so they can be over trained if your not careful.

Like I said just my opinion :nod:

[genetic freek]

Nate - with all the heavy lifting and the heavy ab exersizes do you think this is thickend up your waist? i.e would your waist be as small as it was back in 2000 or similar now but better? or worse?

[jimjim83]

I use to train but now I dont bother with them

Big squats stress abs enough eh. :grin:

[nate225]

Nate - with all the heavy lifting and the heavy ab exersizes do you think this is thickend up your waist? i.e would your waist be as small as it was back in 2000 or similar now but better? or worse?

LOL - my waist on stage was 31" or less at 88kg, it's now around 40" at 105kg!! :grin: That said if I dieted I reckon it would still be within an inch or two.

Aging plays a part here as my BF distribution has changed a lot in 10 years - seem to store more on waist, particularly on sides (even at a lower BF%), than when younger when I had more on my back/arms etc.

[genetic freek]

Nate - with all the heavy lifting and the heavy ab exersizes do you think this is thickend up your waist? i.e would your waist be as small as it was back in 2000 or similar now but better? or worse?

LOL - my waist on stage was 31" or less at 88kg, it's now around 40" at 105kg!! :grin: That said if I dieted I reckon it would still be within an inch or two.

Aging plays a part here as my BF distribution has changed a lot in 10 years - seem to store more on waist, particularly on sides (even at a lower BF%), than when younger when I had more on my back/arms etc.

Cool, Darren seamed to think that his waist had got thicker from all the strongman stuff, Not so good for bbing