Abs exersises

[yazan]

I'm trying to work my abs a bit before summer. The most readily available an exercises are supermans, planks, situps and variations, and leg raises. Are there any other good an exercises that I should b doing?

 

[asooneyeonig]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21st_century_core_training_1

 

[dirtwarrior]

That is a great article

 

[yazan]

Thx man. That's exactly what I needed!

 

[Celorza]

...I feel I know of someone who would say the author of that article , and all the people in the videos suffer a huge case, of a not very known of but widely spread, killing, and horrible disease known as...****arounditis.

 

[toddgranit]

Try front levers. They are the hardest and one of the most effective core movements I've ever done.
I've managed to work up to sets of 12, and they never get easier.
I can't post links or pictures yet. Google front lever tutorial.

 

[compudog]

I'm trying to work my abs a bit before summer. The most readily available an exercises are supermans, planks, situps and variations, and leg raises. Are there any other good an exercises that I should b doing?

Heavy deadlifts, & heavy squats. There's a ton of ab exercises, and you can weight some of them, even so the amount of weight on a weighted ab exercise can't compare to a heavy deadlift or squat. There's lots of guys with a strong enough core to deadlift or squat twice their body weight, last time I checked an ab wheel wasn't considered an essential prerequisite for that.

 

[asooneyeonig]

Heavy deadlifts, & heavy squats. There's a ton of ab exercises, and you can weight some of them, even so the amount of weight on a weighted ab exercise can't compare to a heavy deadlift or squat. There's lots of guys with a strong enough core to deadlift or squat twice their body weight, last time I checked an ab wheel wasn't considered an essential prerequisite for that.

then read up on the gym that produces some of the strongest people of all time in powerlifting, westside gym. they do direct ab work several days a week. they do believe it is critical to work weak links to not allow them to not be weak links anymore. and its not a matter of doing more work for weak parts but less work for already strong parts.

also:
26-46% more muscle activation from free weight squats. Squats and deadlifts activate core muscles better than stability training, ie side bridges and supermans
-Applied Physiology and Nutritional Metabolism 31: meeting abstracts, 2006

so yes you are partially correct. but if the trunk is a weak link, then you need to make it stronger to catch up to the stronger parts. the weak link is a chain is where the chain will break. i know the last few months the only changes i made to up my squat and deads are trap and ab work. both have gone up 20-30lbs since the start of the year just with that change. those were weak links for me and i look forward to seeing what i can do when they are not weak anymore.

another ab exercise i started doing a few months ago that was not in the article i listed above is front squat partials or super heavy picks. like i front squat 225 so i will put 275 or 315 on a bar, unrack it and hold for time. i was super surprised at how sore my abz were.

 

[compudog]

then read up on the gym that produces some of the strongest people of all time in powerlifting, westside gym. they do direct ab work several days a week. they do believe it is critical to work weak links to not allow them to not be weak links anymore. and its not a matter of doing more work for weak parts but less work for already strong parts.

also:
26-46% more muscle activation from free weight squats. Squats and deadlifts activate core muscles better than stability training, ie side bridges and supermans
-Applied Physiology and Nutritional Metabolism 31: meeting abstracts, 2006

so yes you are partially correct. but if the trunk is a weak link, then you need to make it stronger to catch up to the stronger parts. the weak link is a chain is where the chain will break. i know the last few months the only changes i made to up my squat and deads are trap and ab work. both have gone up 20-30lbs since the start of the year just with that change. those were weak links for me and i look forward to seeing what i can do when they are not weak anymore.

another ab exercise i started doing a few months ago that was not in the article i listed above is front squat partials or super heavy picks. like i front squat 225 so i will put 275 or 315 on a bar, unrack it and hold for time. i was super surprised at how sore my abz were.

I also do direct ab work, but it's not the main core work, it's just assistance. The main core work is as you say, the squats & deadlifts. I can't do front squats, haven't got enough flexibility in my wrists, I'd like to but no. I do a lot of pullups though, and I find those work my core a lot more than I would expect.

 

[Rodja]

Anyone that has bought into the idea that direct core work isn't needed is severely misinformed. The problem is that there is too much ground-oriented work when most lifts are done standing and not on the floor.

 

[compudog]

Hi Rodja. I disagree. I used to be a long distance runner, I did about a million situps, planks, etc, thought I had a good strong core, until I started doing heavy squats and nearly got folded in half by the weight. All those years of doing crunches might have helped some, but it was the squats that made it really strong. Deadlifts didn't hurt either. Don't get me wrong I still do the ab work (think I'm addicted now), I just don't kid myself that it's making me stronger anymore. They do make a nice break between sets of deadlifts though...

 

[Rodja]

Hi Rodja. I disagree. I used to be a long distance runner, I did about a million situps, planks, etc, thought I had a good strong core, until I started doing heavy squats and nearly got folded in half by the weight. All those years of doing crunches might have helped some, but it was the squats that made it really strong. Deadlifts didn't hurt either. Don't get me wrong I still do the ab work (think I'm addicted now), I just don't kid myself that it's making me stronger anymore. They do make a nice break between sets of deadlifts though...

Did you not read my remark about too much ground-oriented training?

 

[DerickVonD]

I also do direct ab work, but it's not the main core work, it's just assistance. The main core work is as you say, the squats & deadlifts. I can't do front squats, haven't got enough flexibility in my wrists, I'd like to but no. I do a lot of pullups though, and I find those work my core a lot more than I would expect.

I'm in the opposite position as you, I have trouble with back squats. Try a cross arm grip on front squats, that's the only way I can do them.

 

[compudog]

Did you not read my remark about too much ground-oriented training?

I read it, I'm not sure what you mean by it though. Can you explain?

 

[Geoforce]

I read it, I'm not sure what you mean by it though. Can you explain?

He's saying you need to train the core, but not in the ground based situp/crunch type fashion since we don't often lift in this fashion.

 

[Rodja]

I read it, I'm not sure what you mean by it though. Can you explain?

He's saying you need to train the core, but not in the ground based situp/crunch type fashion since we don't often lift in this fashion.

This. My core training is never on the ground as I don't lift on the ground. My core training consists of standing crunches (cable and band), ab wheel, DB side bends, hyper/reverse hyper, and full hanging leg raises.

 

[ReedSkin]

Sets of dragon flags, decline barbell sit-ups, and bicycles with resistant bands. Quit being a p*

 

[CopyCat]

Turkish Get-ups. Hands down one of the best.

 

[mattrag]

This. My core training is never on the ground as I don't lift on the ground. My core training consists of standing crunches (cable and band), ab wheel, DB side bends, hyper/reverse hyper, and full hanging leg raises.

This!
I train my abs either via the leg raises or ab wheel.

 

[compudog]

This. My core training is never on the ground as I don't lift on the ground. My core training consists of standing crunches (cable and band), ab wheel, DB side bends, hyper/reverse hyper, and full hanging leg raises.

Ok, thanks. I can dig this, I do the hypers & like I said lots of pullups which IMO are similar to the hanging leg raises (at least they are with my not-so-perfect form). I agree the ground based ab work doesn't do much.

 

[compudog]

I'm in the opposite position as you, I have trouble with back squats. Try a cross arm grip on front squats, that's the only way I can do them.

Thanks, I'll have to give that a go. I dig your avatar btw. 790 rules man.