Ab Training Project Mayhem Style
By Paul San Andres
 

Well, here comes another ab training article. It seems that I get at least one request a month from a publication looking for an article dealing with abs and how to finally achieve that six-pack. Usually I hit them with the same old lines…"sit-ups won’t get you that six-pack, diet does"…"the abdominals act to bring the sternum and pelvis together so your crunches must resemble that movement"…"training abs everyday is unnecessary"…yada yada yada.

This time, however, I’ve decided that for sanity’s sake I’m going to have to come up with something different to say. So, welcome to my own personal "Project Mayhem" on the ab training establishment.

Just like it’s namesake from the best movie of last year, "Fight Club" (at least in my not-so-humble opinion), I’m about to challenge the normal belief system for ab training. Hopefully, I can assemble my own little army to change the ab training landscape as we know it. Or maybe not. Now, on to the "mayhem…"

1. Now this recommendation will probably blow most people’s minds – Stop worrying so much about ab specific exercises. That’s right, stop obsessing over crunches and leg lifts and Russian twists and the plethora of other ab exercises that you know. Want to really zap those puppies? Squats, standing military press, power cleans, deadlifts and just about any other exercise where you are standing and supporting a weight activates more of your abdominal musculature in a more effective manner than all the above mentioned ab specific exercises combined.
   
   What’s that? Don’t believe me? Well, without getting into the research studies that have shown more EMG activation in the abs from the above mentioned non-ab specific exercises as compared to ab specific exercises, it also makes sense from a logical standpoint. Two words for you – intensity and function. You can use much higher intensity levels (literally how much weight is being lifted) on the compound standing exercises than you could possibly handle for ab specific work (unless you truly are a pencil-neck). Since the number of motor units activated in any muscle is regulated in part by intensity levels, it would only make sense that more of your ab musculature would be needed to support a 300 pound squat than a 30 pound weighted crunch.
   
   You also need to keep in mind that your abs act as stabilizers in most sport and life activity. This makes the training effect the abs receive from the compound standing exercises more specific to their true nature. With these two points in mind you can start to see why direct ab training should only be used as a supplement in the grand scheme of your overall ab training.
   
   
2. Incorporate rotational movements into your ab training program. Too many people rely solely on crunching type movements. Your rectus abdominis (see, those anatomy classes paid off after all) is only one part of your total abdominal musculature, and not the most functional of the group either. Your internal and external obliques are involved in rotating the trunk (like when you throw a punch or a pitch). Unless you work these movements into your routine, you are only training 1/3 of your abs.
   
   In fact, consider that when your abs aren’t acting as stabilizers they are usually acting to rotate the trunk. It would only make sense logically that these types of movements should make up the majority of your supplemental ab routine.
   
   Think about it – how often do you flex your trunk against resistance on a daily basis? And on the rare occasion that you do truly flex your trunk, gravity is helping out. Your rectus abdominis rarely plays a prime mover role, so devoting a number of exercises to training them for this purpose is pointless.
   
   Oh, and stay away from those cursed rotational machines. Using machines for ab training is silly considering that abs are the center of your body and they never, ever act alone. This makes machine training, which isolates them from the surrounding musculature, counterproductive.
   
   Using Russian twists and barbell twists as the bulk of your ab routine will result in a better overall look and function. Below is a demonstration of both of these exercises. Learn them, use them, curse them, and then enjoy the results…
   
   Russian Twist: Secure your feet either by placing them under something that won’t move (like a machine bolted to the floor) or by having a partner hold them. Start in the position shown, leaning slightly back and clasping your hands in front of you. Moving only at the trunk, rotate to one side. At the end of your range of motion, quickly reverse the movement and rotate to the opposite side. Repeat in a rapid fashion for the prescribed number of reps. As you advance, hold a weight or medicine ball in your hands to increase the resistance.
   
   
   Barbell Twists: Place one end of an Olympic bar in a corner as shown below. Start with your arms straight out in front of you with both hands grasping the other end of the bar. Your hands should be slightly higher than eye level at this point. Rotate and bring the bar down to one side while pivoting slightly on the toes to avoid undue shearing forces on the knees. At the end of the movement quickly tighten the abs and bring the bar back to center before repeating on the other side. Repeat the entire process for the proscribed number of reps. It is best to hold your breath during the actual movement and exhale at the top.
   
   
   
3. I’m going to touch on this for the benefit of all the newbies out there and I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the subject because it’s been hounded to death. The real secret to the six-pack is… (drum roll please)… YOUR DIET. There is absolutely no way around the fact that unless your body fat levels are at the lower end of normal (getting into the lean category), you won’t see anything but a smooth pooch on your stomach. You could have the most muscular abs in the world, but unless you go through the effort of dieting down to a low bodyfat percentage, you won’t see them. The fat around the stomach area is usually the last and hardest to get rid of. If it’s not going away, then you're eating too much or not expending enough calories, period.
   
   O.K., I lied, I did spend a little time on this subject, but it never fails to amaze me how many people insist that their diet is perfect, yet they somehow just can’t get their abs to come out and say hi. It’s time for a reality check, people. Can’t get your abs to show? Stop eating so much…
   
   
4. Lastly, for the love of God, please stop with the high rep schemes and daily training for your abs. Contrary to popular belief, the abs are made up of primarily fast-twitch muscle fibers, meaning that they are best trained with high intensity levels, low reps and a real recovery period. Doing 4 sets of 50 reps of crunches every day is pointless. It will do nothing to increase your abdominals’ strength or appearance. Want to really bring out their true potential in both areas? Add some weight to your movements and don’t do more than 10 reps in a set. Train them just like any other muscle group, with planned training days and planned recovery periods.
   

In all honesty, one or two days of direct ab work is plenty if you do it right (in other words, if you follow these suggestions). Simply pick 2-3 ab movements (the majority should be rotational movements) and do 3 sets of 5-10 reps for each. Try not to plan heavy ab training directly before training days that involve compound standing exercises as you will need them to stabilize your trunk. Allow at least 3-4 days of rest between direct ab training days.

To get the most out of your abs, stand for as many of your exercises as possible. If you make a habit of sitting down to perform an exercise when you could be standing, you’ll be missing out on a lot of valuable ab stimulation, greatly retarding your possible results. It really is that simple and time efficient.

So, I’m sure that a lot of you have had some pretty well established ideas challenged here, and that was my intention. We are all guilty of becoming complacent in our routines, assuming that we already know the best ways of approaching a training program. That’s where ab training Project Mayhem style comes into play…learning to question what you thought you knew about your abs and how the established authorities tell you to train them. What they don’t know will hold you back. And just to show you I put my money where my mouth is (to paraphrase Tyler Derden), "I want you to hit my abs as hard as you can…"