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Abs - how??

Toff

Well-known member
Whats a good ab workout - i never feel like im working them?
I cant do 8-15 reps and feel the burn its always 60 reps+

I work out at home with a multi gym and free weights, so something straight forward.
 
Toff said:
Whats a good ab workout - i never feel like im working them?
I cant do 8-15 reps and feel the burn its always 60 reps+

I work out at home with a multi gym and free weights, so something straight forward.
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Ab wheel.. Weighted crunches... Decline sit up's with weight.. All these hit the abs hard. Also hanging leg raises. You only need stimulus you dont need to annihilate them. Thier a small muscle group
 
heavy farmers walk works the core hard, along with everything else. I like isometrics for abs, like six inches and planks. Time yourself and try to beat that time every workout. It gets intense quick.
 
Dandecoteau said:
Squats, deadlifts, standing over head press, weighted lunges all work the abs
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I agree and disagree... This is just based on myself so everyone is different. I done all of these and never had the best of abs. I eventually implemented isolation movements. Ie weighted crunches. Weighted decline sit up's. Ab wheel and hanging leg raises. My abs became FAR better. The best i have ever had them look. I wish i had hit them with thier own workout a couple years back. I now train them directly twice a week. It takes about 20-25 mins so its no a lengthy workout. Next thing is body fat... Remove that layer around thier and your naturally gonna have abs anyway. But building them up should still let them show when your bodyfat is slightly higher.
 
Another suggestion: YouTube some of your favorite boxer’s ab routines. They’re usually insane. The core is so important for a fighter.
 
Weighted carries (farmers/waiters walks etc) - do single arm as well as two handed.

Build your own slosh pipe - carry it, squat with it. Just stand with it - crazy good for abs.

Ab wheel I believe has been shown to create very high levels of an activation when done right (too many people let the lower back sag)

Palloff presses are a stable for me but fall outs, anti presses, any think using a trx in a plank type position

Hollow holds, Russian twists, v sits etc
 
great thanks guy sive got myself an ab wheel and watched videos on how to do it properly re: back

Ive got myself an inclined bench too.

should be gtg
 
The ab wheel is all you need for complete development. Compound lifts are likely not enough. I squatted 260kg and deadlifted 280kg weighing 75kg and my midsection was very small and when lean I have next to no abdominal development. The ab wheel changed this
 
SmithPm said:
You can use roller for abs. Hard but effective.
And static exercise plank can help to train ab muscles
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Very few people create the correct tension in the abs when doing a static plank.......for many it’s a waste of time for this reason. I much prefer a hollow hold as the lower back driven into the floor pretty much forces the abdominal activation and is easy to see if someone isn’t holding the right position
 
But direct ab work is only worth doing when you have low body fat. Until you hit sub 15%, you can strengthen your overall core with the big lifts and the only ab movement I would consider is where you twist the trunk.
 
One exercise that I just recently started doing is a variation of the plank. Regular planks don’t do anything for me. With this plank your lever arms go further and further out in front of you so that your closer to the ground. Your relax all of your muscles except for your abdominals. It activates the midsection to the point you will be shaking in 30 seconds or less. I also like one arm weighted planks, Hanging leg raises, side plank crunch with tempo, fitness ball crunches, kneeling cable crunches (done the right way...everyone does them wrong), barbell rollout (pelvic tilt is key) reverse Tate bends on a cable machine and landline oblique twists for obliques.
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
But direct ab work is only worth doing when you have low body fat. Until you hit sub 15%, you can strengthen your overall core with the big lifts and the only ab movement I would consider is where you twist the trunk.
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The big lifts provide enough core stimulation or you should do direct ab work to improve on the big lifts.......there’s two ways to look at that one
 
The problem with people doing ab work is that they rarely blow all of the air out at the top of the rep which fully engages the abs. I feel with ab work breathing technique is crucial in getting a full abdominal contraction. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person at my gym do a properly done rep for abs. I know that seems like an overly exaggerated statement but I’m dead serious lol
 
BlockBuilder said:
The problem with people doing ab work is that they rarely blow all of the air out at the top of the rep which fully engages the abs. I feel with ab work breathing technique is crucial in getting a full abdominal contraction. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person at my gym do a properly done rep for abs. I know that seems like an overly exaggerated statement but I’m dead serious lol
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Depends on how you train you abs, personally I prefer static anti flexion or anti rotation (hollow holds, palloff presses etc) or loaded carries and similar for abs. Even single arm bench presses can create great abdominal activity.

Many ways to skin a cat but you sir do have a cracking set of abs so I’ll always take your points on it.
 
YoungThor said:
heavy farmers walk works the core hard, along with everything else. I like isometrics for abs, like six inches and planks. Time yourself and try to beat that time every workout. It gets intense quick.
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Yep, this is my approach too..... ab roll outs I do use a lot also.

Regards compound lifts working the abs (which they obviously do) I’ve always found it interesting to consider whether you shouldn’t work abs directly as the compounds do, or if you should work abs directly because they are important for the compounds.....

In terms of asthetics though I definitely believe direct ab work will help them pop when bf levels get low enough
 
Toff said:
Whats a good ab workout - i never feel like im working them?
I cant do 8-15 reps and feel the burn its always 60 reps+

I work out at home with a multi gym and free weights, so something straight forward.
Click to expand...

Hanging leg raises have always been my fave
 
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