Abdominals

Read these articles, to learn how to build and develop your abdominals.

 

AB Stimulators

Let me start off by saying that I did not buy into this "fad", my Mom did. After seeing tons of advertisements, commercials, and seeing them in stores, some people get the idea that they work just as good as they say. I know my mother did. Anyways, long story short, after buying one she quickly became tired of it, and dropped the belt and went on with her life.

I decided that I would not let money go to waste. I would write in a journal how it really worked for me, and how it feels and my views on it. This article will not feature any charts, it is just a straight forward article. So without further writing, I will start.

The name of the belt will remain unnamed. I regulated the food I ate, just to get that out of the way before we start.

Day one

I started off by watching the long boring video that was included with the belt. I read the handbook that came along with it. All this was done, so I did exactly what they said, so that I would get "great results".

I applied that belt over my abs. The instant you turn it on, there is this very annoying feeling. The only word I can come up with is that it felt like my abs were being electrocuted. As lame as that explanation may be, it's the only one I can come up with. So I turn it off, look at it closely, and come up with the conclusion that what I felt is normal with the product.

I put it on, for 15 minutes. During the 15 minutes, it feels very annoying. They stated that you could put it on and go on about your day. While it was on, my body was being jerked around by that electricity. If I were to have this on and walk around, I would not look normal, as if I had some kind of disease. So I sat down and played some music, and worked on the computer. All this time I am trying to write a paper for school. I find it impossible to do so, because I keep missing the keys on the keyboard, as if someone kept pushing you when you were about to type each and every word.

After my 15 minutes were up, I took of the belt and I was truly amazed at what I found. My abs felt like I just did nothing for 15 minutes. Every time I work my abs, I feel the work I have done. With this belt, I felt nothing. I decide that I will go on with the process, and that it may be just a part of how it works.

Day two

I felt no soreness this morning; I usually do when I do my abs. Again, I felt that it was part of the process. I placed the belt in the exact same place. To make sure it was in the same place I had marked the center of the area with a marker (as bad as it may sound, I still did it). This was so that I get the same effect every time I did the "workout". I turn on the belt to the same setting, and let it go again for 15 minutes, again, same "workout" every time.

I find that I cannot get used to the feeling of the belt. Some things you can get used to, I don't see how I can get used to this. I go about my business while having the belt on, keeping a close eye to my watch. I take it off, and again felt nothing.

Fast forward... Day 7

Been doing the same thing, seen no progress, but its only been a week.

Fast forward... Day 14

No progress, I miss my Ab workouts. But I must go on, for the sack of science. The Ab belt is still annoying as ever. I have decided that this will be my last week.

Last day

Having had no success with the belt, I decided to place it away. The belt like most other things you see on TV, are never as good as they say.

I will have to say that electronic Ab products do not work as good as they say, in my opinion they don't work at all. I have been to the chiropractor before, and there they have muscle stimulators. These products are meant for relieving muscles. Ab belts follow the same exact method, release electricity into the muscle to make it contract. Except they twist words, and say that it will tone and build muscles.

An Article I Found:

Abdominal muscle stimulators may be popular, but legal authorities aren't enthusiastic about some of the health claims made by manufacturers of the products.

The Federal Trade Commission has cracked down on some of the devices and, last week, a Napa County, Calif., Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the advertisement and sale of Gym form Plus stimulators distributed by Industex USA and two other Industex corporations.

The device, which costs about $50, is sold over the Internet and in stores. A ban on the product in California was sought by the district attorney's offices in Napa and Sonoma counties on grounds that electrical stimulators can be used only by licensed doctors and physical therapists and that manufacturers need approval from state authorities to conduct sales. The stimulators are touted to firm and tone muscles by passing electrical current through muscles, causing them to contract.

The injunction only affects Industex, not other manufacturers or distributors of electrical abdominal stimulators. However, Daryl Roberts, Napa County's deputy district attorney, says his office is investigating other companies that sell such devices in the state.

"We may have to bring more cases," Roberts said. The devices "are flat-out illegal. Second, the health claims are unsubstantiated and misleading. Third, the products are misbranded; they don't have the appropriate warnings on them (that) they are required to have." Company representatives could not be reached for comment.

Under federal law, electrical stimulators must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be sold directly to consumers. However, FDA officials said earlier this year that the agency does not have the resources to crack down on all offenders and, instead, will focus its efforts on encouraging manufacturers to seek legal approval to market their devices. The injunction on Industex muscle stimulators will hold until the case is settled or goes to trial, Roberts said.

By Shari Roan
Los Angeles Times

I found this article on the web. I felt it had to be put in my article. From day one, I had doubts. After trying the product and researching it, I found the truth. These products don't work, don't believe everything you read, see or hear.

Abdominal Training Tips
by Brent Vlcek

Breathing: It is often preached to exhale on the contraction and inhale on the negative portion of the repetition. However, you can produce stronger muscular contractions by holding your breath during ab exercises. For example, try exhaling only after you've nearly reached completion of the exercise.

Concentration: Michelangelo did not sculpt his masterpieces with his eyes closed, so what makes you think you can sculpt abs with your eyes closed. As hard as it might be, look at your abs during the exercise - it will improve your concentration.

Body Fat: Everyone has abs, some people don't see them because there is a layer of fat around their waist. (ie. you need a low body fat percentage to see your abs) On the days you are not lifting, try some cardio and look into some thermogenics.

It's quality, not quantity that counts: If you can pump out 1000 crunches in 5 minutes, here's a toast and a tip of the hat, but I really don't care. Train the abs like every other muscle. I only give my abs 8 repetitions of each exercise and they look pretty good. Training your abs for long distance repetitions will only be training their endurance, not their strength - and it's the strength that shows.

Feel the searing burn: Although you do not necessarily have to feel the burn on every repetition to know that you're stimulating muscle growth, it's a good mental factor to feel some resistance. For resistance, wrap leg weights around your ankles, do sit-ups with a weight on your chest, cancel out regular crunches and do weighted, overhead pull-down crunches on a weight bench.

Abs don't cost money: Return that sh*t you bought from that television commercial that aired at 3:00 in the morning. To train abs, you do not need one of those roller things or special contraptions.

If you want them, act like you got them: It may sound stupid, but after you complete a full set, pose and contract your abs. Yes, I said it, pose! As long as your mom doesn't catch you posing in the mirror, it will be all good. Posing contracts the muscles further and helps separate the muscles to give them that more defined, ripped look.

Overview of Ab Training
by Joe Franco

The importance of strengthening the abdominal (or "abs") cannot be overemphasized. The functions of the mid-section include flexion, lateral flexion and rotation of the torso as well as flexion of the hip. Collectively, the muscles of this region keep the abdominal organs compressed and assist in forced expiration (as during vigorous exercise).

Therefore, virtually all sports require the use of the abdominals to some degree. In addition, having a strong mid-section will remove stress that tends to build up in our lower backs from being inactive.

 

Basic Anatomy and Muscular Function

The abdominal muscles can be divided into two groups: the upper and the lower. The upper abdominal wall consists of four pairs of thin muscles arranged in layers connecting the rib cage with the pelvic girdle.

The muscle fibers run in three different directions: diagonally, vertically and horizontally. This mycological arrangement helps to strengthen the abdominal wall and to stabilize the trunk.

The external obliques are the outermost covering of the three layers on both sides of the abdomen. The fibers of this broad muscle form a "\/" across the front of the abdominal area, extending diagonally downward from the lower ribs to the pubic bone. The internal obliques lie immediately under the external obliques on both sides of the abdomen.

These fibers form a "/\" (an inverted "\/") along the front of the abdominal wall, extending diagonally upward from the pubic bone to the ribs. The rectus abdominis lies on the same layer as the internal oblique. It is a long, narrow muscle that runs vertically across the front of the abdomen from the rib cage to the pubic bone. The transverse abdominis is the innermost layer of the abdominal wall. It is the thinnest of all abdominal muscles and its fibers run horizontally across the abdomen.

 

General Guidelines

The following general guidelines apply when training the abdominals:

 

The Form

Perform all exercises in good form. Good form is raising your body without the use of momentum in about 1 - 2 seconds, pausing distinctly in the contracted (or mid-range) position and lowering your body under control in about 3 - 4 seconds.

This will ensure that your abdominal muscles are raising your body (rather than momentum) and that your chances of incurring an injury while strength training are minimized.

Avoid hyper-extending the spine. People frequently complain of low back pain while executing abdominal exercises. This is usually the result of having relatively weak lumbar extensors, performing the exercise incorrectly or a combination of the two. For instance, sit-ups (or any variation of a sit-up) should be performed with your knees bent and your chin tucked into your chest.

This will help keep your lower back flat, thereby reducing the amount of stress placed on it during the performance of the exercise. Under no circumstances should the so-called "Roman Chair" sit-up be done because this particular movement hyper-extends the spine and places undue stress on the low back area. In the case of weak low back muscles, strengthening exercises (such as back extensions) should be prescribed.

Keep tension on the abdominals throughout the entire duration of the exercise. As an example, your abdominals are used during the first 30 degrees of a conventional bent-knee sit-up movement (with respect to the horizontal). So, its not necessary to bring your torso all the way up to your legs.

In fact, when performing a bent-knee sit-up you should stop before your upper torso goes beyond a point that is perpendicular to the ground. In addition, don't let your head touch the sit-up board between reps. Otherwise, you'll take the tension off your abdominals allowing them to rest and momentarily recover.

Reach momentary muscular failure between 10 -15 reps (or 40 - 70 seconds). Momentary muscular failure may best be defined as that instant when it is literally impossible for you to perform another repetition in good form.

It is not necessary to perform thousands -- or even hundreds -- of repetitions in order to strengthen the abdominals. The abdominals should be treated like any other muscle group. Once an activity for the abdominals exceeds about 70 seconds in duration, it becomes a test of endurance rather than strength.

 

Key points for ab training (summary)

1. Train your abs like any other muscle group and don't train them on consecutive days. 3 days a week is plenty if your doing the movements correct.
2. On the top portion of any ab movement, you want to pause for a beat.
3. Control the movement and do the exercise slow.
4. Breath out and tighten the abs during the exertion of the exercise.
5. Press your lower back (flatten it) down towards the floor while crunching.
6. Place your hand behind you neck and not on your head.
7. Only crunch up for 4 to 6 inches.

 

Two Ab routines

Mix up the order for the following ab routines, but warm up the abs with the regular crunch.

U = upper abs, L = lower abs, O = obliques
              ONE
1. Regular crunch U 2 set for 15 reps
2. Reverse crunch L 2 sets for 15 reps
3. Hanging leg raise L 2 sets for 15 reps
4. Side crunch O 2 sets each side for 10 reps
5. Regular crunch U 1 set for 20 reps
              TWO
1. Regular crunch U 2 set for 15 reps
2. Twist crunch O 2 sets each side for 10 reps
3. Reverse crunch L 2 sets for 15 reps
4. Roman crunch 4. 2 set for 15 reps
5. Rope Pulldown crunch U 1 set for 20 reps

AB Training. Keep It Simple Stupid.
by Layne Norton

I've heard so many training theories on abdominals from about every person that has ever touched a weight. Let's clear a few popular myths up about abs.

Myths

"You can work abs everyday because they recover faster than other muscles" - I'm getting a great ab workout from how much I'm laughing at this one. Muscle tissue is muscle tissue. Muscle tissue responds to stimulus (weight training) to grow larger and stronger.

"You need to use super high reps to increase definition in your midsection" - Yea right. You can do a thousand crunches per night but If your diet isn't correct you'll never see those abs.

"You don't need to train abs because they get enough work, supporting muscles during squats, presses, and deadlifts" - I'm sure the same people that believe that, also don't train biceps or triceps since they are supporting muscles to the back, chest, and shoulders...I think not.

"You shouldn't train abs with weight because it will make your abs big, which will make you look fat"- Oh my goodness, the biggest misconception of all time. I will explain why later in this article.

 

Abs Made Simple

The rest of this article will be dedicated to showing you that abs aren't as complicated as everyone thinks.

Let's begin with how muscles grow. Muscles are overloaded and stimulated to grow when they are trained with weights that are heavier than the body is use to handling. The muscles need nutrients (protein, carbs, fats and vitamins to name a few) and recuperation time to grow bigger and stronger. Would you train your chest everyday? Of course not, you would never make any progress. So why would you train abs everyday? There is absolutely no reason to. The abdominals can become overtrained just like any other muscle that is worked too often. One intense day of work per week is enough for your abs.

So how should you train your abs during your workouts? Heavy. That's right, you heard me. Heavy. "But if my abs get big they will make me look fat." Not in the least, first of all the abs are a very thin sheet of muscle and thus very hard to enlarge. But if you could make them grow, what would be wrong with that? Let me use an analogy with a different muscle group since no one understands abs. Here is the question/analogy... There are two people, person A and person B. Person A has 12" arms with 7% body fat. Person B has 17" arms with 11% body fat. Whose arms are going to look more defined? It will be person B's arms because the muscle sticks out farther away from the body. The same thing applies to abs. If they were bigger they would stick farther out away from the body; thus it would appear that one would carry less fat around the mid-section since there is more muscle there. This would allow one to achieve what everyone wants - visible abs even when you are bulking!

Now I know you might be thinking, "If my abs are bigger it will make my waist look bigger." Not in the least. If your abs stick farther out away from the body it will appear that there is less fat in between the abdominals (the same way it appears that there is less fat around your arms if they are bigger). Now the converse is true for the obliques. You DO NOT want to build your obliques up. Large lower obliques will make you appear wider. They still need to be trained, but only with a couple of light sets per week.

 

Ab Training

The abs are split into upper and lower abs and the upper and lower obliques. You're workout should include exercises to hit each of these areas. The following is a list of exercises and what part of the abdominals they hit.

 

When training the abdominals, the repetitions should be kept within the 8-15 rep range. When training the upper obliques keep the repetitions in the 12-20 rep range and when training lower obliques keep the repetitions over 30.

Here are a few sample workouts.

Sample Workout 1

 

Sample Workout 2

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