Abdominals?

Do you have a dedicated abdominal training regiment?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • No

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Total voters
    11
RubberbandB

RubberbandB

Member
Trusted Member
Years ago I used to have a dedicated abdominals training regiment but I figured because most of my big lifts were compound movements, I felt like my core was incorporated enough to not need direct training.

Fast forward to today, I have found that I have switched most of my exercises to isolation/machines that isolate the muscle, and I don’t remember the last time my abs we’re sore/fatigued. I can confidently say, I do not train my abs anymore at all.

I must say that I have shifted focus to aesthetics/bodybuilding from the previous powerlifting days, and now that I am on a steady deficit, I wanna see those abs pop again.

Do you guys think that abs are worth training knowing that most of the visible abdominal muscles come from cutting and low body fat percentages?
 
I train abs at the end of every workout like I train hand strength at the first of every workout.
More than aesthetics - there are other reasons to train abs. Take strongmen - most don't have abs at all showing but they work their core hard to prevent injuries, or in contact sports to be able to take punishment without slowing you down.
Agreed - if you do most exercises properly and are keeping your core tense, especially compound movements, your stomach/lower back, core in general is getting a workout but I don't think it is the same as dedicating some time to exercises specifically for the core - hanging leg raises and even the old crunches especially if you have some injuries. You have to be careful training abs especially if you have lower back issues so you don't make your it worse. Training your core properly will help prevent lower back injuries/other injuries or prevent ones you have from getting worse.

Periodically on a day off I may do more ab workout but it is involved in so many exercises and general life movements, it is almost like calves and takes a lot of abuse before it gets sore or at least I find it to be that way.
 
Bagua said:
Nope, I don't train abs at all. I ripped my abs from the sternum to the navel, which makes training them directly painful. I do a fair amount of breathing after each workout, which tenses the abs.
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Ouch! If you don’t mind me asking, how did that happen?
 
Direct ab training should not be necessary if you do heavy compound lifts with proper bracing and not overly relying on belts…squats, deadlifts, rows, etc

If you focus too much on machines, or isolation exercises, you miss some of this fundamental functional training. The primary muscles will look good, but the core strength of the body will lag behind.
 
Oldguyjiujitsu said:
Direct ab training should not be necessary if you do heavy compound lifts with proper bracing and not overly relying on belts…squats, deadlifts, rows, etc

If you focus too much on machines, or isolation exercises, you miss some of this fundamental functional training. The primary muscles will look good, but the core strength of the body will lag behind.
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Yeah I’ve cancelled my squats and deadlifts. My Lower back almost gets no training. What do you think about those two exercises.
 
I think some compound exercises that caused systemic fatigue and recruitment of the posterior chain should be programmed regularly.

Barbell squats, racked kettlebell squats, Bulgarian split squat, trap bar deadlifts, dumbbell reverse lunges, barbell and dumbbell standing rows, RDLs

I’m over 50 so I try to be smarter. For example i do squats second or third on a leg day and keep reps in the 12-15 range. Far too often i see people in the gym by default doing lying leg curls instead of barbell RDL or single leg RdL with a kettlebell. people are missing the benefits all the connective tissue and stabilizing muscle work.

If you wanna remain balanced and get stronger everywhere, including the abs, people should do compound exercises.

My two cents
 
Oldguyjiujitsu said:
I think some compound exercises that caused systemic fatigue and recruitment of the posterior chain should be programmed regularly.

Barbell squats, racked kettlebell squats, Bulgarian split squat, trap bar deadlifts, dumbbell reverse lunges, barbell and dumbbell standing rows, RDLs

I’m over 50 so I try to be smarter. For example i do squats second or third on a leg day and keep reps in the 12-15 range. Far too often i see people in the gym by default doing lying leg curls instead of barbell RDL or single leg RdL with a kettlebell. people are missing the benefits all the connective tissue and stabilizing muscle work.

If you wanna remain balanced and get stronger everywhere, including the abs, people should do compound exercises.

My two cents
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Bulgarian split squats would probably do me good, my lateral meniscus in the left knee is clapped.
 
if bodybuilding is your focus and you want the classic look, stay away from oblique training. crunches, sit ups etc. are cool, but training the sides of your waist area obviously makes your waste bigger, getting rid of that hourglass illusion look.

powerlifting or strongman, core is a must. don’t think daily training of core is good though. they’re just like any other muscle and need time to recover. and if you truly train them hard as fuck like you would with other muscle groups, you’ll be too sore to train them daily.
 
Trenbolone&Cheese said:
if bodybuilding is your focus and you want the classic look, stay away from oblique training. crunches, sit ups etc. are cool, but training the sides of your waist area obviously makes your waste bigger, getting rid of that hourglass illusion look.

powerlifting or strongman, core is a must. don’t think daily training of core is good though. they’re just like any other muscle and need time to recover. and if you truly train them hard as fuck like you would with other muscle groups, you’ll be too sore to train them daily.
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So for classic physique look, I’m gonna have to rely on cutting fat as much as possible for that V shape. That does make sense but I’m also wondering if what I have under the fat is sufficient for a balanced look. I guess what I can conclude is I should train it moderately every now and then but not beat on it with a sledgehammer of a regiment to a point where I become a block.
 
RubberbandB said:
So for classic physique look, I’m gonna have to rely on cutting fat as much as possible for that V shape. That does make sense but I’m also wondering if what I have under the fat is sufficient for a balanced look. I guess what I can conclude is I should train it moderately every now and then but not beat on it with a sledgehammer of a regiment to a point where I become a block.
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just stay away from oblique training imo. good to train abdominals twice/week (away from squats for me lol, abs already get fried squatting.) good developed abdominals for sure, just the obliques that will make your waist “wider” from the front will make that illusion less noticeable. unless your waist is 22” and your shoulders are wider than lizzo’s ass cheeks
 
Bagua said:
One-arm pushups. It was the most painful thing I had experienced until my second knee replacement.
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I tore my stomach down the middle but not nearly as bad as you did (clearly). It was from kicks and the doc said it was like a zipper effect after and kept tearing down but not to the degree you did. I don't have any pain after a few weeks but when I do abs after every workout (this is over 10 years later), I am only picking two exercises and doing one set of each to failure with no pain. If I look at my abs when training them the middle sticks out more (where it tore) than it should. It doesn't stick out right in the middle except when specifically training abs.

Does it bother you with Judo throws or hard kicks you need to rotate for or need to create a lot of torque? I'm trying to envision how it tore that bad but I don't think I want to. Knowing you are serious about martial arts (and I am nowhere near as serious as you about it), I would think this would hamper a lot of movements. Just curious - did you have to have surgery?
 
Goldenrod said:
I tore my stomach down the middle but not nearly as bad as you did (clearly). It was from kicks and the doc said it was like a zipper effect after and kept tearing down but not to the degree you did. I don't have any pain after a few weeks but when I do abs after every workout (this is over 10 years later), I am only picking two exercises and doing one set of each to failure with no pain. If I look at my abs when training them the middle sticks out more (where it tore) than it should. It doesn't stick out right in the middle except when specifically training abs.

Does it bother you with Judo throws or hard kicks you need to rotate for or need to create a lot of torque? I'm trying to envision how it tore that bad but I don't think I want to. Knowing you are serious about martial arts (and I am nowhere near as serious as you about it), I would think this would hamper a lot of movements. Just curious - did you have to have surgery?
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I tore my abs many years ago taking a judo throw and landing poorly (shitty break-fall by me). The abs tore from the hip bone. Worst injury ever. took 4 months to heal and then a year or two for the nerve damage to repair itself. the physo was worse than the injury. Good as new today.
 
Goldenrod said:
I tore my stomach down the middle but not nearly as bad as you did (clearly). It was from kicks and the doc said it was like a zipper effect after and kept tearing down but not to the degree you did. I don't have any pain after a few weeks but when I do abs after every workout (this is over 10 years later), I am only picking two exercises and doing one set of each to failure with no pain. If I look at my abs when training them the middle sticks out more (where it tore) than it should. It doesn't stick out right in the middle except when specifically training abs.

Does it bother you with Judo throws or hard kicks you need to rotate for or need to create a lot of torque? I'm trying to envision how it tore that bad but I don't think I want to. Knowing you are serious about martial arts (and I am nowhere near as serious as you about it), I would think this would hamper a lot of movements. Just curious - did you have to have surgery?
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I have seen three surgeons who all expressed misgivings about surgery because they felt it may be able to be repaired, but it would eventually tear again. This would transpire in as short a period as six months. Due to my abdominal wall being solid, strong and flexible, there is no pressing need to have it surgically repaired as in a hernia, which has the potential to strangulate. It doesn't bother me most of the time- in fact, the only time it bugs me is when I try to train my abs. My kicks are from Wng Chun and Savate, which do not require any significant torque, and my throwing days are long gone.
 
When I did strongman I did 0 isolation for abs, completely unnecessary with all the compound lifts, stones, farmers, yokes etc. they just don't need more. Now that my goals are.more for an aesthetic physique I hit abs twice a week after legs and that's all I feel I need.
 
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