Abs, Hit em hard??
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For me, abs r nothing special. By that i mean i treat them just as another body part. I do something like 3x10 weighted situps, 4x15 russian twists, 3x10 woodchoppers(modified to replicate the hammer throw). Those people who walk up and go "oh, u didnt do 200 crunches today? well u might wanna do 400 tmrw to make up for it" those people are the ones that end up with my foot up there A$$.
Meaning, of course, that you don't do them every day.
Why not? there a small muscle and recover quickly.
I see abs (in my case) in a way that almost mimic my calfs. I mean i use my abs more than normal people(mountain bike, discus/hammer) and it takes a lot for me to break them down. Plus there a small muscle and recover quickly.
Plus, dont do just sit ups and "frontal abs" do twists and make sure to hit ALL parts of the abs.
A staple of resistance training is specificity (training for what you'll be using the muscles for). You are obviously going to train your core differently from someone that is just trying to get a 6-pack. In your case you are obviously training for a high level of muscular strength and endurance, and will have to alter your regiment as such. The majority of the general fitness population will try to train their core in order to maintain a certain shape, and they are the ones that really shouldn't be training the core every day, as it can result in abdominal muscles that grow too large and "bulge," and may not fit that ideal shape that some desire.
I have no problems with training the core hard.
But, one "rests" just as hard.
Or your progress will retard.
The core's functions are vast and many:
It supports the body's overall weight.
It stabilizes and mobilizes, and provides support for activities we take granted.
It stabilizes and provides support for the major lifts that are critically important for "it's" functional growth as well as growth to the overall body.
Some of the core muscle structure can be very close to the lower vital organs, and serves to protect, and is one reason it takes low body fat to reveal them.
It resides in the middle of the body by design purpose, and this thought is critical to remember.
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I would put compound lifts in competition against any direct core work ; a matter of fact there is no competition.
Building the body "overall" in the way the body was designed to function coupled with a proper diet, will do MORE for premium core "improvement" than any direct core work--performed ALONE (or just by itself).
I support both indirect and direct core work; however, if I had to select one over the other, I would select indirect compound lifts.
Build the upper and lower body and the ab core has "no choice" but to follow, but its design construction.
And, with proper diet, you will reveal your "HOURS" in the gym.
To get a well designed ab core:
1. Takes HOURS of time in correct diet out of the gym and intense discipline. Revealing the core has more to do with 98% of the time one is not in the gym.
2. Takes HOURS of consistency and persistence inside the gym. The hours in the gym pales in comparison to the time spent outside of the gym in diet-that can ruin efforts inside the gym.
The fruits you want from the stimulus in the gym is brought to you through your diet. And, don't forget it.
I do not support doing the core 7 days per week.
If one is doing a FBW 3 days a week, for example, and then doing another 4 days of direct core work, this leaves no days for the body to rest and perform "its quiet but vitally important function": To adapt, recover, and rebuild.
You MUST allow the CNS time to recover so it will repay you.
The idea is to attempt to bring optimal conditions not suboptimal conditions, and REST is where the body building really is ROCKEN ON!
Best wishes,
Chillen
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thanks for the advice, i do a fbw 3 times a week (hst) and eventhough ive been cutting and losing weight i have seen muscle size and strength gains on the program. its just my upper portion of my rectus abdominus juts out like a rock below my sternum and the lower portion seems to be non existent. Its all the same muscle isnt it?? is that just genetics or is there something i can do to change that?
If you're young enough, your metabolism makes it possible to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. So congrats!
Don't fret too much about the other thing though. It isn't that the lower part is non existent. There's just excess fat over it (since the most common place the male body stores fat is the lower belly area)
In time it too will tone up and be visible. Keep it up!
lmao im not young enough, im over 40!! but thanks to all of you here on the FF i have lost 30 lbs since february and gained strength and muscle dimension and best thing a whole lot of energy and pep. ill post a few pics of before and after soon with my gratitude to everyone, especially Chillen whose words of wisdom can really turn someone around!!!