How to Strengthen Very Weak Abs?

[ucimigrate]

Hi Everyone,

I have always had very weak abs. Even when I had almost no fat, my abs still stuck out because they were weak.

I have heard everything from conventional advice (do lots of situps or crunches), to "train large muscle groups like squats", to "do _______ special exercise".

What is the most effective way to strengthen abs; I especially would like obliques?

 

[Aleksandar37]

You've told us what you've heard, but what have you tried?

 

[Zvch]

Strengthening abs is more about how you perform the exercises and less about what exercises you do. If you don’t have strong core muscles overall (lower back - spinal erectors, transverse abdominis) and train these all to work together and engage first to stabilize your core before executing a movement with your rectus abdominis, you’re not going to have strong abs.

It really all comes down to breathing and mind-muscle connection. Think breathing with your back when performing an exercise and exhaling all air from your stomach while simultaneously squeezing your lower back before you perform any rep - this along with keeping your back straight or flat on the floor are good cues. Once you develop good mind-muscle connection with the deeper muscles of your core, it’s not going to matter much what exercises you do because you’ll be able to make those muscles fire at will like never before.

There’s a ton of instructional info on youtube as well.

 

[jdey12]

^what Zvch said. You need to know how to breathe air into your diaphragm. Here is a good link http://www.neversate.com/wrath/2016/4/22/breathing-and-bracinga-how-to-guide