Summer is approaching. Reply to this thread with an ab training tip and we’ll pick one person to win a <a href=“Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION”>HOT-ROX prize package with a bottle of HOT-ROX, a T-shirt and a Nalgene water bottle.
Of course, diet is perhaps the most important factor here, but let’s assume people know that (hopefully they do) and offer ONLY training tips.
Let’s hear those ab tips!
abs, just like the rest of your body need to be trained with progressive resistance. whats the use of having cute abs if they are not strong and functional?
you dont necessarily have to throw alot of direct ab work into your training macrocycle. If you include squats and deadlifts then those work the abs among tons of other muscles. It just depends on your current workout.
Put a plate or dumbell on your chest when you do crunches. This way you don’t have to do hundreds of crunches.
Don’t just train abs in a supine position as most people tend to do all the time. Get up off the floor and try exercises in a different plane, such as standing cable pulldowns.
one of the best ways to get strong abs is with full body exercise. I’ve always noticed my abs are much stronger after a few months of grappling training. If you don’t do grappling, try some exercises like hitting a tire with a sledgehammer, or better yet, go chop wood with an ax.
periodize your ab training program. Doing crunches for 3 months won’t make your abs any stronger. Use a large variety of exercises to target all points of your abs and you’ll get stronger.
Ensure your curling your upper body in (Try to touch your belly button to your ass…does that make sense?) when coming up. Don’t keep a straight back or your working the hip flexors, which is not the abs.
So on decline…crunch your upper in when you rise…add progressive weight like P-dog says and Get 'er done!
T
Adding weights to your abdominal exercises is key! if you can perform 15 reps or more of an exercise you should add weight and reduce reps.
Also tempo is very important as some people think ab training is a speed event. take ur time feel the burn
and third always keep your abs tight.
Variety, don’t get stuck in the rut of crunches only.
Also, you can do ab work all day long, but you won’t see your abs if your bodyfat levels don’t go down.
Deadlift and squat
the little wheel w/ the bar through it is a bitch.
I recently started using a rolled up towel under the small of my back while doing crunches. The extra stretch allows me to work through a greater range of motion to really burn my abs.
On a decline bench, anchor your feet. Hold a plate (start with 5lbs) over your head. Keep the plate close to your head in the bottom of the situp, and slowly extend it as you get to the middle of the range… the further out you extend your arms, the more the load. This is great for getting the most out of a situps session, and it forces you to think and go slow as you do it (as well as more evenly distributing the work throughout the movement).
The McGuyver Extended Leg Roman Chair Crunch. Take a flat bench and bring it to a dumbbell rack. Hook your feet underneath the rack, position the bench length wise so your butt hangs off the short side with your legs almost fully extended. Now take a dumbbell and hold it underneath your chin and do full range situps and crunchs in the same motion.
This works hip flexors, abs, quads and some of the posterior chain.
For chin-ups/pull ups, hold a dumbell or any other weight inbetween your feet to add more work for your abs. Also, you could simply stick your legs straight out horizontally and perform chins/pull ups in the “L-sit” position.
Chances are you have great abs, but you’re just too fat to see them.
So cut back on the crunches and drop the twinkie.
training your abs with direct ab work wont’ make them visible. you have to have your HIIT and diet in line
Want impressive obliques???
Train kicking a HEAVY bag for one hour, twice a week. Do fron kicks, side kicks, and roundhouse kicks.
Do abs first in your workout.