Ab Training!

[Primal]

Hey CB! Back with another training question. So, one of the first posts I ever put on this site was about training my obliques. Eventually the thread deviated off into abdominal training and you guys told me that training my abs bodyweight was the best way to really bring them up! Well I did this for a few months and now that I'm cutting I get to see the fruits of my labour! I'm really digging the look at the moment, my serratus branches off into my abs making that really cool longitudinal line across my stomach area which I think looks amazing! I find though that my abs are still quite small and weak looking compared to all my other muscles; not so badly that it throws off the proportions of my physique but enough that people are actually inquiring if I am a physique competitor. Besides the fact that these people have probably never seen a bodybuilder or physique competitor in real life, I can't help but agree that my abs do need much more work. I'm a bit surprised at how slow they are growing to be honest, I've improved my numbers in all the big lifts by so much (squats improved almost 100 lbs and deadlift 35 lbs added to my max) without any belts or assistance.

What I've been doing is 4 sets of leg raises for 20 reps on a bench. I do this for 4 out of the 5 days I go to the gym. I take 1 second to bring my legs up and 1 second to go down. Even though the contraction feels great I can't help but wonder if I did weighted dips if it would work better? I know I've only done this for a short period of time and it was nearing the end of my bulk, and hitting my abs with higher volume certainly helped but it seems like it got them 'shredded' and not thick, you know what I mean? The biggest uncertainty is I'm not sure if I should just keep improving my big lifts and my abs will eventually catch up (this is what I assume you guys would recommend me to do) or if I should try out weighted abdominal movements? I've heard of a few people who say they got their thick abs off years of doing weighted crunches and improving their lift numbers. My goal is to have abs so thick that if somebody decides to punch me in the stomach, they'd break their hand! Hahaha! Just kidding but I do long for very thick abdominals. Has anyone had success with weighted ab movements for thickness? Or do you all attribute your brick wall abs to bodyweight movements? Please let me know!

Thanks!

-Primal

[Hosehead]

The only things I do for my abs is beltless squats and deads PLUS weighted crunches with a rope. There is also a cool weighted ab machine at the gym where you kind of do a semi pullover from a seated position. I think these moves cover all my ab needs. Having said that , I carry enough body fat in my abdominal area that they are only visible when pumped or flexed. I think the only reason why I can see them at all with a higher body fat % is that they are very thick from the weighted exercises and aforementioned squats and deads. Having visible abs has never been a goal but I'm quite sure that they would look formidable if I would just lose the weight. I do recall that when I had bowel surgery years ago that the surgeon later told me he had to do a lot of cutting to get through my abdominal wall. I attribute that to the weighted ab moves and squats. The ****er left an awful scar and from that point on it looked like a ****ing mess anyhow. So IMO I'd take the opportunity to do weighted moves, but not for the obliques.

[cog]

Hey CB! Back with another training question. So, one of the first posts I ever put on this site was about training my obliques. Eventually the thread deviated off into abdominal training and you guys told me that training my abs bodyweight was the best way to really bring them up! Well I did this for a few months and now that I'm cutting I get to see the fruits of my labour! I'm really digging the look at the moment, my serratus branches off into my abs making that really cool longitudinal line across my stomach area which I think looks amazing! I find though that my abs are still quite small and weak looking compared to all my other muscles; not so badly that it throws off the proportions of my physique but enough that people are actually inquiring if I am a physique competitor. Besides the fact that these people have probably never seen a bodybuilder or physique competitor in real life, I can't help but agree that my abs do need much more work. I'm a bit surprised at how slow they are growing to be honest, I've improved my numbers in all the big lifts by so much (squats improved almost 100 lbs and deadlift 35 lbs added to my max) without any belts or assistance.

What I've been doing is 4 sets of leg raises for 20 reps on a bench. I do this for 4 out of the 5 days I go to the gym. I take 1 second to bring my legs up and 1 second to go down. Even though the contraction feels great I can't help but wonder if I did weighted dips if it would work better? I know I've only done this for a short period of time and it was nearing the end of my bulk, and hitting my abs with higher volume certainly helped but it seems like it got them 'shredded' and not thick, you know what I mean? The biggest uncertainty is I'm not sure if I should just keep improving my big lifts and my abs will eventually catch up (this is what I assume you guys would recommend me to do) or if I should try out weighted abdominal movements? I've heard of a few people who say they got their thick abs off years of doing weighted crunches and improving their lift numbers. My goal is to have abs so thick that if somebody decides to punch me in the stomach, they'd break their hand! Hahaha! Just kidding but I do long for very thick abdominals. Has anyone had success with weighted ab movements for thickness? Or do you all attribute your brick wall abs to bodyweight movements? Please let me know!

Thanks!

-Primal

You need to do something that involves rom.People that have a really flat abdominal wall with great abs from just deads and squats are fairly rare.

[cog]

Check out Ben Pakulski Ab Training 101 on youtube.What he says about pulling in the abdominal wall is important.

[Primal]

I would think the ROM for leg raises would be pretty good though right? I even target my lower abs by putting my tailbone on the bench and like I said above the contraction is great! I'm just unsure over time if this will build overall thickness. Lots of articles and people say that bodyweight is enough, but there are also tons of other people on the spectrum with abs that look thicker than the wall of China who say that it was from years of weighted ab movements. I will check out the Ben Pakulski thing though, sounds cool!

-Primal

[cog]

Weighted crunches on a machine are good.

[Want2lift]

Dragon flags. Hands down most amazing ab work out ever. Do these after dead lift day and after squat day.

[cog]

Dragon flags. Hands down most amazing ab work out ever. Do these after dead lift day and after squat day.

I have yet to find any one movement that upon regular use guarantees you won't get sore doing a different workout.

[Want2lift]

I like dragon flags and planks. I find the ab stuff where your core is engaged for a longer period of time are far more taxing and beneficial.

[cog]

No hip action in that one.No true core strength without the hips.