What's the best way to get BIG ab muscles.

[LeiYunFat]

Yes, which is why I noted a page earlier that no one had mentioned the erector spinae and that it cannot be neglected if you wish to achieve a strong core, preserve muscle balance, and prevent injury. A proper abdominal routine requires core specific exercises for both the frontal and posterior core. High level athletes are put through a vigorous core (abdominals, obliques, and erectors) regiment that mirror the required movements in their given sport.

Right, I don't see any disagreement there, do you?

Did I say supplementary? No, I said complimentary, and integral to strength training. In essence, just as you shouldn't strengthen your upper body and neglect your lower body, you shouldn't neglect core specific training. As high level athletes enter the final periodized stages of conditioning, they do not cut back or stop core-specific training. Instead core-specific training continues to increase in volume and intensity in step with the rest of their resistance training program.

Besides the last sentence, you could say it's a matter of semantics. Core training increases because weight loads increase as the person gets stronger. Ab work is supplementary/complimentary which is why it's always done last. The types of exercises and workouts listed in this thread to the OP seem like entire days dedicated to the abs.

 

[illiniphase4]

Besides the last sentence, you could say it's a matter of semantics. Core training increases because weight loads increase as the person gets stronger. Ab work is supplementary/complimentary which is why it's always done last. The types of exercises and workouts listed in this thread to the OP seem like entire days dedicated to the abs.

That's not why core training is done last. It's done last for the same reason you do compound lifts prior to iso's. You don't want to exhaust the supporting musculature with iso's before you perform your compound lifts because it generally reduces achievable weights and increases the risk of injury.

I haven't seen much in this thread telling him to dedicate a whole day to the core, not that there isn't anything substantially wrong with that as long as he is getting to the rest of his lifts throughout the week. Regardless, it's perfectly effective and efficient to work in 3 or 4 core exercises at the end of each resistance training session, usually with one targeting the rectus abdominus, one targeting the obliques, and one targeting the erector spinae, and if you have time, work in hip flexor/extensor stuff.

 

[LeiYunFat]

That's not why core training is done last. It's done last for the same reason you do compound lifts prior to iso's. You don't want to exhaust the supporting musculature with iso's before you perform your compound lifts because it generally reduces achievable weights and increases the risk of injury.

Because core and especially ab work is supplementary to the compound movements! That's what I'm saying.

I haven't seen much in this thread telling him to dedicate a whole day to the core, not that there isn't anything substantially wrong with that as long as he is getting to the rest of his lifts throughout the week. Regardless, it's perfectly effective and efficient to work in 3 or 4 core exercises at the end of each resistance training session, usually with one targeting the rectus abdominus, one targeting the obliques, and one targeting the erector spinae, and if you have time, work in hip flexor/extensor stuff.

I am adamant against wasting a whole day on the abs as I've seen so many others do. Now if it was the core, including the erectors, that might be a different story. That's the reason I said squats, dl's, and gm's. Everyone was throwing out ab **** but was neglecting the real thing that holds people back from getting thick. Other than that I agree. Throwing in an ab circut is a good idea at the end of a session.

 

[ciarzy_boy]

Can someone who actually knows the anatomy please comment on this.

I certainly cant! Its just an article I saw...

 

[illiniphase4]

Because core and especially ab work is supplementary to the compound movements! That's what I'm saying.

Eh, still not agreeing with you here. Subtracting arm and leg iso's isn't necessarily going to be detrimental to a workout. However, for the sheer injury prevention effects of a strong core, you really can't cut out core iso's the same way you can cut out other muscle iso's, and you really can't expect to get "big" abs without the iso work, much the same way lifters will do bicep curls to isolate and emphasize full range of motion of the biceps.