Ab training

[Rambo Moe]

This probably won't be such a hot topic on this forum but what do you do to train abs? Frequency? Volume? Do you train them heavy and what movement do you do and why? I would consider my abs my only lagging part right now and looking for some different shit to really build them up.

[Firefist]

I've always been partial to the hanging straight leg raise. Something unconventional I do is getting on the decline bench, throwing a light bar on my traps like a squat, and going in from there. Makes leverage work against you.

[In Flames]

I train purely for aesthetics. I don't play the mass game nor do I care how much weight I lift. So I train my abs similar to every other body-part, high volume, no weighted ab exercise and high frequency. My favorite go-to ab exercise is hanging knee and/or leg raises. I don't believe in using weight for the abs. This is just my .02 cents. To be honest, it's more important to fix your diet than how many ab exercises you're doing.

[Goldstone]

I'm a big fan of the ab wheel with weights on your upper back for resistance. Work your way up to a 100lb plate for reps. Full reps so your abs almost touch the floor, then back up. Nothing lights my abs up more than that thing.

[Rambo Moe]

I train purely for aesthetics. I don't play the mass game nor do I care how much weight I lift. So I train my abs similar to every other body-part, high volume, no weighted ab exercise and high frequency. My favorite go-to ab exercise is hanging knee and/or leg raises. I don't believe in using weight for the abs. This is just my .02 cents. To be honest, it's more important to fix your diet than how many ab exercises you're doing.

Thanks for the response. I'm at about 7-8% body fat right now, 5 weeks out from my first show so my abs are very visible. Just looking for something to make them look more full and bigger I guess? How often a week do you do the high volume ab training?

[Chase "BIG COUNTRY" Browning]

I'm a big fan of the ab wheel with weights on your upper back for resistance. Work your way up to a 100lb plate for reps. Full reps so your abs almost touch the floor, then back up. Nothing lights my abs up more than that thing.

This is madness. lol

[In Flames]

Thanks for the response. I'm at about 7-8% body fat right now, 5 weeks out from my first show so my abs are very visible. Just looking for something to make them look more full and bigger I guess? How often a week do you do the high volume ab training?

I train like the Golden Era of bb'ing back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. To me, these guys knew exactly what they were doing. The most aesthetic looking physiques and tightest looking waists. I train abs every other day and sometimes everyday depending on how I feel. Serge Nubret had some of the best abs in the game, smallest waist and he trained abs every single day with no weight. Just look at his photos and you'll be astonished. Going by part of your user name "Rambo" you must like Sylvester Stallone. This is a definite physique that inspires my training, especially his Rambo 2 and 3 days. He trained abs every single day as well since he was training with a Golden Era bb'er Franco Columbo. Just look at his abs, definition and his waist to shoulder ratio. Franco's old school training style was definitely working for Sylvester, so why can't it work for you?

[Firefist]

I'm a big fan of the ab wheel with weights on your upper back for resistance. Work your way up to a 100lb plate for reps. Full reps so your abs almost touch the floor, then back up. Nothing lights my abs up more than that thing.


This is madness. lol

+1

thats insane haha

[Goldstone]

This is madness. lol


+1

thats insane haha


Maybe, but it works!! And yes, I've done it with the 100lb plate. I think my best was 11 or 13 reps.

Once you can start banging out sets of 20, start adding weight. Takes time, but worth it.

[Swolepez]

I haven't trained abs lately but when i do i keep it plain and simple...i dont remember where i read it but Dorian Yates would do 3 sets of 25 regular crunches and 3 sets of 25 reverse crunches. I do these on my non weight lifting days, so 3x per week . 30 sec between each rep.

[J Wong]

I have always neglected ab training in the past. I'd do them here and there but not consistently. I have made it a priority to hit 100 reps after each squat, bench, and deadlift workout of hanging ab raises for my upcoming meet. I feel like it is helping my core strength and I actually feel like it's keeping my lower back from feeling as stiff and sore as it usually gets.

[JHOORNSTRA]

I have someone handcuff me to a pipe overhead and hang there as karate guys beat me like in Jean Claude movies...

But seriously I do abs after every workout...or at least supposed to...leg raises, planks, weighted crunches, etc. Two movements per day on a four day split.

[ibnmahama]

Definitely hit up some standing cable crunches using the rope. I believe they make a great difference just because its closer to simulating the movements you are involved in especially in squat and deadlift.

[World Eater]

Hanging leg raises and russian twists with a DB, twice a week.