ABS-SOLUTELY Best Ab Training (Part 1)

ABS-solutely Best Ab Training (Part 1)
By Shane Robert

Spend enough time in lifting circles and you will hear the expression “Abs are built in the kitchen.” This, of course, is largely true. It takes a certain level of leanness before someone has good abdominal definition. Leanness is achieved through losing body fat, which is achieved through a caloric deficit. Hence the expression.

While I agree in principle that diet is the most important factor in “getting abz,” they are still a muscle that, like all muscles, can get bigger and look better. We’ve all seen extremely skinny people who, technically, have a 6 pack, but they don’t have the deep clearly defined abdominals of a Greek God. For that, it takes working the muscles of the stomach. 

I view ab training from two different perspectives – aesthetic and performance. Of course, there is some crossover between the two. However, performance-based ab training doesn’t care how the abs look; it cares about how well they perform to stabilize under a heavy squat or brace to pick up a heavy deadlift or press hundreds of pounds overhead. For bodybuilders, the type of training that builds performance is anathema to the X-frame look they strive to achieve. For strength athletes, the type of aesthetic-based training that bodybuilders do doesn’t actually build the kind of strength needed for their sports (not to mention many strength athletes don’t have the low body fats required to show off their abs.) 

Regardless of the goal, all abdominals support the trunk, facilitate movement, and hold organs in place, as well as generate the intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressure critical in sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and defecating (though I’d encourage you to eat more fiber and sauerkraut if you are getting an ab workout from pooping). As far as facilitating movement goes, these are:

1. Flexion (bending together) and anti-flexion (preventing bending together)
2. Extension (pulling apart) and anti-extension (preventing pulling apart) 
3. Lateral Flexion (bending sideways) and anti-lateral flexion (preventing side bend)
4. Rotation (turning in one or either direction) and anti-rotation (preventing a rotational force) 
5. Stabilization (kind of all 4 combined along with working the deep inner muscles of the abdominals to keep the spine safe)

Let’s look at some training ideas for the two different goals.

STRENGTH

Heavy lifting requires stability for the maximum amount of force generation. This stability starts at the abs, aka ‘core’, and for an example of how much of a difference this makes, compare doing a lift with and without a belt. Properly engaging the abs to stabilize is called bracing. Simply bracing under heavy loads works the abs very well on its own. At a certain point, as loads increase, it becomes necessary to strengthen the abs outside of simply bracing, which leads to those increased loads being easier to handle. 

In no particular order, my favorite movements to build tremendous ab strength are:

1. Ab Wheel/Rollouts/Fallouts/Etc.
2. Suitcase Carries
3. Farmers Walks
4. Front Squat Iso-holds
5. Heavy Weighted GHD Sit Ups 
6. Barbell Side Bends

Each of these movements carries over to heavy lifting by working all the muscles of the core together.

1. Rollouts – This might be the best ab movement in existence, whether for strength or aesthetics. Done properly (like a plank in which the arms move), nothing challenges better. This hits stability, anti-extension and flexion all in one. If you get to the point where you’re rolling out from standing, for reps, you have strong abs.
   

2. Suitcase Carry – Pick up a weight on one side and walk with it. Stay as upright as possible and don’t allow yourself to lean in either direction. The bell will try to pull you over and you have to fight that force, which requires a lot from your abs. This trains lateral flexion, anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation and stabilization.

3. Farmers Walk – Pick up two heavy weights in each hand and walk. This exercise is so much more than just for abs, but in terms of abs, it’s great. You are training stabilization, anti-rotation and anti-flexion. You’re a rockstar if you can do bodyweight or more in each hand for 60 yards

4. Front Squat Iso-Holds – This one is simple. Load up a barbell with a lot of weight; unrack in the front squat position and hold for time. This trains you to brace through breathing while also hitting stabilization and anti-flexion.

5. Weighted Glute-Ham Developer (GHD) Situps – Grab a weight and hold it behind your head while on a GHD or Roman Chair. Your legs should be straight and your glutes past the pad. Lay back as far as you can without arching your back and then return to the starting position. This hits stabilization, extension, anti-extension and flexion. Keep in mind that this is about load not reps, so make it heavy enough that more than 8 reps is hard.

6. Barbell Side Bends – Unrack a bar like you are going to squat. Keep your feet close together and bend sideways as far as you comfortably can. Reverse direction and do the other side. Keep your chest up and abs braced throughout. The movement should come from your obliques – the side muscles of your abs, and not from your back and forward movement. This trains lateral flexion and anti-lateral flexion with stabilization. For an even greater challenge, hold the weight overhead (a Saxon Side Bend)

All of these movements train the abs in a way that makes them ready for lifting heavy things. They should be treated like any other heavy lifts and done under control and with load. If you look closely, they all train stabilization to a great degree, which is why they are so important for strength. Though they will hypertrophy the abdominals, that is a secondary benefit and might run the risk of making a person look “blocky” in the waist. But I favor performance over pure aesthetics, so I can’t argue with those who don’t care about performance. 

For the average person, these movements, especially the first 3, are essential to building the kind of resilience needed to keep their backs healthy and pain-free into their golden years. 

Next week you can channel your inner Frank Zane and we will cover ab training purely for  aesthetics. In the meantime, give these movements a try.