The "Secret" to "Killer Abs"
Today I want to talk with you about one of the most sought after fitness
achievements, and perhaps one of the most misunderstood: the six pack abs. You’ve
probably heard some strange advice that may or may not have come from
someone that had achieved this pinnacle of fitness. But how, exactly, does
one achieve the desired washboard-stomach? In my experience, the best place
to start is with using some good old common sense when listening to one of the
possible remarks that is befitting of the so-called "Gym-Guru".
“Abs are made in the kitchen!”
There is some truth to this "Pearl of Wisdom", since what you eat
and how much you eat/expend will affect your body fat levels. The lower
your body fat percentage, the easier it is to see your abs. However,
it is very possible to have a low body fat percentage and not have a
six pack. The Rectus Abdominis, the segregated muscle that creates the
six pack effect, is made of contractile muscle tissue.
All contractile muscle tissue has the potential to hypertrophy
(increase in muscular development). For any muscle to develop, it must
be utilized on a regular basis; if you don’t train it, it won’t develop
optimally.
“Squats and Dead-Lifts are all you need to develop a six pack!”
Let me share a story with you. When I was a young buck, I adhered
to the advice that Arnold Schwarzenegger gave me in his Encyclopedia of
Modern Bodybuilding, which was to (specifically) train your abs. I
followed this advice, and I saw impressive results, achieving a well-defined
six pack. Shortly after the naysayers came to rain on my parade, telling me
I was wasting my time, and all I needed was Squats and Dead-Lifts.
Now I want you to guess how many of these naysayers had a six pack?
If you guessed zero, you are correct. Maybe they weren’t doing enough squats?
The fact of the matter is, when done properly, the only type of contraction done by the abs during these lifts is an isometric contraction, which can lead to marginal hypertrophy, but certainly not even close to the muscles' full potential when it’s trained properly. We know that, to train a muscle, it must perform its intended function or purpose. Aside from stabilizing your “core”, your six pack’s primary function is flexion of the torso and spine. It does this by pulling your Rib-Cage closer to your pelvis (1). So, for optimal development, this movement should be performed. A couple exercises that are safe, effective, and perform this function are your basic Crunches and various forms of Weighted Crunches. Some weighted crunch options include the Ab Bench, Roman Chairs, and Hanging-Knee-Raises. If all you needed to develop your abs were Squats and Dead-Lifts, why does Louie Simmons, both owner of the famous Westside Barbell and an elite level athlete/guru in both lifts, endorse Ab-specific training?
The fact of the matter is, when done properly, the only type of contraction done by the abs during these lifts is an isometric contraction, which can lead to marginal hypertrophy, but certainly not even close to the muscles' full potential when it’s trained properly. We know that, to train a muscle, it must perform its intended function or purpose. Aside from stabilizing your “core”, your six pack’s primary function is flexion of the torso and spine. It does this by pulling your Rib-Cage closer to your pelvis (1). So, for optimal development, this movement should be performed. A couple exercises that are safe, effective, and perform this function are your basic Crunches and various forms of Weighted Crunches. Some weighted crunch options include the Ab Bench, Roman Chairs, and Hanging-Knee-Raises. If all you needed to develop your abs were Squats and Dead-Lifts, why does Louie Simmons, both owner of the famous Westside Barbell and an elite level athlete/guru in both lifts, endorse Ab-specific training?
“You gotta train abs every day/twice a week1”
Let’s talk a little about training frequency and weighted exercises
verses body-weight. There are so many schools of thought on this, and
I don’t know if there is an absolute conclusion in the debate of
which is better. However, we can apply two of Dr. Fred Hatfield’s
"Seven Granddaddy Laws" to this situation. First, the Law of Individual
Differences: there are so many variables that contribute to muscle
development that what works for one person at a specific time may not
be the best for another at that given moment. It’s important to
listen to your body. Second, there is the General Adaptation Syndrome,
which states that your body makes progress by adapting to the exercise.
Although your workouts should have periods of easier training, the stimulus
being applied to your muscles must be increased in some way to promote progress.
Personally, I’ve seen people achieve success using multiple methods.
...
In closing, I hope you understand the importance of specifically training your abs,
and how training them as their own entity is the common sense answer. Your results will
be amplified by proper nutrition, but you will not reach your maximum potential without
focusing ample time on training this specific muscle group.
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