MuscleSports.net Bodybuilding Articles Logo
Does Anyone train Abs anymore? Does Anyone train Abs anymore?
Basic Routine for Competition Abs!
By: MuscleSports.net
 Jacked Factory BURN-XT Follow:
Does Anyone train Abs anymore?

- Bodybuilding Articles -

Building Great Midsection Takes Time and Work!

I was wondering do any of the YouTube channels, website or print mags have ab training articles any more? You see allot of videos and shit on all the show me muscles, but no abs. Calves or forearms will pop up once maybe twice a year but for the most part it always the same old training stuff. I am on this kick because I just started training someone for a fall show. Our prep which begins in 2 weeks and from all the photos we have taken he swears up and down he's been training his abs 3 time weekly as prescribed, but for the life of me I didn't see it. I just needed to see if he was pulling my leg or was he really training abs!

Show Me Your Routine!

Then I asked him to show me his ab routine! Oh boy, and from the first rep everything was crystal clear. Every exercise he did had the hip flexors and inner thigh muscles as the primary movers and the abdominal were a distant second. Then I started looking around the gym and saw allot of people doing the same things. Machines which say abdominal in the title but when used incorrectly have the arms, hips and legs as the primary movers. It's no wonder that you see quite possibly the weakest set of abdominal in the history of bodybuilding among todays professionals. I really don't think 95% of the pros today know how to properly training their abs. Its not glamorous, doesn't bring images of beast mode, it just plain old work! Now if you're ready for work, then I have the routine that gets the job done - man or women.

Your NEW Routine:

Exercise #1: Crunches

Yeah crunches! Before idiots started trying to pull their heads to their crotches, thinking that they were working their abs, before all the machines making an abomination of the movement crunches built some of the best midsection in history. Read carefully this is how you do a crunch; First lie flat on the floor with you lower back semi relaxed and you thigh 90° and you lying over a bench or against a wall. With your arm at your side and your head and shoulder elevated off the floor a couple inches, exhale all the air out of your diaphragm(Lungs) curls your body forward using only your abs. Like your trying to roll your head toward the middle of your thighs. Another help is think about reaching as far as your can with your hands going straight forward. Inhale slightly on the way down and repeat. Breathing is very important as keeping less air in the diaphragm helps keep your abs engaged throughout the whole set.

Exercise #2: Hanging Leg Raises

These can be done straight legged with stronger abs and bent legged all others. Either way is very effective and only depends on abdominal strength. As before with the crunches we began with an exhale of air, but if you on one of these arm supported leg raise benches I want you to lean your upper body forward about 10° until just your butt is making contact with the pad. This shifts the emphasis away form your hip and onto your lower abdominals where we want it. Raise your legs until parallel to the ground and no higher(high than parallel involves you hips not your abs). Return them in a controlled manner and repeat until all reps are completed.

Exercise #3: Cable Rope Crunches

This one is the one we see Arnold doing is Pumping Iron the original. When done correctly with no swinging on jerking it stretches the abs out and makes for a hard squeeze at the bottom. This is the same movement you started with only with a cable and some weight. Exhale on the way down flexing and squeezing the abs at the bottom and inhale a little on the way up stretching out the abs before repeating the movement.

Conclusion - Thats it! Like I said it not fancy or glamorous but it gets the job done! Use the routine 2 time a week off season and 3 time a week contest prep.

Tags: Abdominals Core

Bulldog
Train Hard or Go Home!
Bulldog… ..

Thank You...
Team MuscleSport.net

Send Us Your Comments:
Does Anyone train Abs anymore? - Comments


Related Articles
ABS: Exercising The Neglected Muscle Group
Bodybuilding: Abs
Ab Workouts



Sponsored Products:

AST Sports Science VP2

AST Sports
VP2

Scientifically Proven!
GET YOURS

Nutrex Amino Charger

Nutrex
Amino Charger

BCAAs & Hydration!
GET YOURS

FinaFlex Stimul8

FinaFlex
Stimul8

Extreme Results!
GET YOURS

 

 

Comments:

 

 

Bodybuilding

Bedrock Training - Beginning bodybuilding Training Manual Kelso's Shrug Book - Paul Kelso expands the shrug principle with dozens of variations that improve muscularity and the competitive lifts. Steve Reeves Bodybuilding Journal: An Analysis
4343423423