Obviously. A body builder would use weighted exercises in conjunction with a set/rep/tempo ratio designed to bring about hypertrophy thereby achieving the desired aesthetic. A boxer, nak muay or other athlete might train using weights but in an entirely different manner... to achieve gains in strength and quickness. The hypertrophy response wouldn't be the same because the set to rep ratio would be quite different. Not to mention the movements would often be explosively trained. Both have and do use weights in their training. But they use them with different methodologies. Achieving rather different results and subsequently the resulting physiques are quite different. There are many different ways to train your transverse abdominals (TVA). I just find it curious that you recommend to not use weights for abdominals at all when it's a very common method among athletes and coaches looking to improve both speed and power. Again - attention to form and a good understanding of functional anatomy is worth it's weight in gold as most people who are working abs have no clue what the frontal flexor chain is and are usually working only the hip flexors. Weights will help if you have the following: 1) proper set/rep/tempo protocol as per your sports specific workout 2) you can execute the movement with proper form at bodyweight 3) you are in need of more resistance than bodyweight can offer All that being said... one of the best weighted exercises to improve your abs providing you are beyond a bedridden obese person? Squat. Dumbells or Oly bar. I'm curious what your actual background is in training. I got from your post that you work in a gym - but in more detail what is it you do at the gym and what type of background do you have?
You don´t need weight on Ab ex..load of rubbish. Explain the function of the abs. You will not strengthen the abs and get defined abs with useing weight...load of crap. maybe in your land the thinking is still from the 70´s but we don´t do that now.
Interesting. What are the certs programs they generally use in your gym? Your gym is fight/sports specific or a general fitness gym? Are your trainers performance based or sales based? So if no weights how do you progress your clients once they can do say 10-15 reps of a particular ab drill if their focus is strength? You do progress your clients as their performance improves right? When you mention 'abs' are you referring to the obliques, the rectus abdominus or the transverse abdominus? Or the entire groups of muscles as they relate to the 'core'? I'm more than happy to go on this subject at length. Definition in the abs is primarily a function of the percentage of body fat that you carry. But you knew that. If you want to strengthen your abs and you can easily handles 10-15 reps of bodyweight with proper form... please explain your method for progressing. What is it you would do in order to arrive at greater resistance in order to build strength. Surely it's possible to become stronger by adding resistance no? Unless you have something that completely undermines what is known in sports science and strength and conditioning today. Let's hear it. Uh... my land? Since when did my geographic location have anything to do with it. You're starting to sound a tad defensive. Are you in some magical location that has the corner on training methodologies? You live in Polequin's place? You're roommates with Paul Chek? You are the Siamnese twin of Peter Twist? lol In terms of 'we don't do that now' who is the 'we'.... this is exactly why I asked you what your background is... Does 'we' refer to NASM? CSCS? PTA Global? Or any of the other certs that are out there? Curious which route it is you have chosen. It'd be interesting to hear your answers on how you figure your going to progress your clients who are interested in getting stronger if you don't plan to use any form of resistance once a very basic modicum of form/rep is met. Please enlighten us. I hope for the sake of your gym and your clients that your manner in dealing with them is a bit more sophisticated than getting your shirt up when someone starts asking you questions about what you think you know.
Because the OP is the only person ever going to read the thread? If you look at the numbers on MAP you'll find that many old threads see a lot of traffic. It's important to make sure that when someone posts something about routines and methods that they can actually think it through to the end and provide solid examples... preferably based on credible methodology. :hat:
I know. I was reading an old thread on bag gloves earlier today but none of the discussion really answered the question I had in mind.... ... and I agree with you. When an abs exercise becomes easy at high repetitions it is time to add weight (though it's difficult to know if the OP was starting from a good base fitness or complete beginner)
If you want to build strength in a muscle group you need to add weight to it. Heck Olympic gymnasts use weighted ab exercises (e.g. hanging leg lifts, windshield wipers etc) and they have pretty good core strength without being overly developed. If your not using weights then you'll only ever build endurance and doing loads of crunches is probably one of the most useless ab exercises you can ever do.
You are talking rubbish..Crunches and ab training are NOT about externel weight. If you think that you are above us in europe in training then tell us ?
Umm... so I'm guessing this is your way of dodging the questions put to you about your training methodologies. In case you hadn't figured it out good training is not dictated by nationality nor is it dictated by geographic location. So really put something on the plate...
The abs/core are a group of muscles, therefore they respond to an applied stimulus the same way as every other group of muscles, so if you want them to get stronger you have to increase resistance. The easiest way to do that is to add weight and work in the lower rep range. If you want to build endurance, that is a different thing all together and that is where higher reps can be useful. You want defined abs then you need to look to your diet. You cannot spot reduce abdominal fat by doing crunches.
Maybe European gym admin's have some secret to spot reduce. Christ almighty... if we get in on this early we could make a bleedin' fortune!
Not the ones I know! How about the 'SlipFrodo £1000 for perfect abs' scam, erm I mean routine. Just do several sets of different crunches twice a day and you're there! Obviously we don't tell them the specific crunches involved till they've paid up!
It never fails to amaze me just how many fitness professionals have fallen into the myth that the abs are somehow completely different to any other muscle group. It also never fails to amaze me how so called fitness professionals continue to advocate crunches etc as the primary way of working the abs, despite the potential damage they can do to your spine.
What's even worse is the whole 'abs in isolation' rigamarole stuff that gets put out there. It's a hangover from the world of bodybuilders. Obviously the body doesn't think in terms of single muscles but in terms of whole chains of muscles working together in an integrated fashion... ie. kinetic chains. Sadly most people simply don't have very much of a command of functional anatomy. Which I don't get... because most of the material is out there and readily available. Maybe instead of sitting down and flipping through Grey's Anatomy the medical text they are too busy flipping channels to Grey's Anatomy the TV show on the brain-drain box. Recently we have more information than ever before available to us... especially in regards to how the muscle and skeletal system are intergrated with the fascia... a lot of new concepts and ways of looking at how the body functions and responds to stress and pressures placed on it. Yet we constantly run up against the old mindset of isolation and bodybuilder style workouts from the 'gym rat' mindset.
The thing with those guys that post videos of themselves doing 120,300,333 situps/crunches a day and claiming that it "worked" for them is that it did work for them. But when you look at it most of them are gifted with a skinny/lean body to begin with so once they build up some muscle it shows easily. For the rest of us that have a "protective layer" over hard-rock abs it's not as easy. We need to lose this layer first...
so you slag everyone of "Bruce Lee" so tell us what you´re qualifications are? I might of got Banned because of you but you are a real PRAT. You slag off Trainers in Europe and in the USA ..i am sick of guys like you because you come from China..WOW:bang: and think you are the best. Training is much more Advanced in Europe and the USA as in China..lol. Look at the PRIMATIVE training methods in China, i bet you could count on one hand how many "FITNESS CHINA MEN" make it in the USA and Europe as Fitness Trainers. You have a big mouth and i invite you to come over anytime and we can sort it out. You are just a KEYBOARD WARRIOR...LOL i bet your a little weed with Glasses.
I'll let Slip make the big reveal, but in the meantime. You do realise that you haven't managed to discount anything that slip has said in this thread? He's said nothing that anyone with a fair understanding of strength training and anatomy doesn't know to be true. You are the worst type of trainer -the type who wear your ignorance proudly like a badge of honour. It is one of the reasons why I avoid commercial gyms like the plague they are. I'll leave you to your plastic pink weights and elliptical trainers. There was a chance for you to increase your knowledge in this thread and become a better trainer, but instead of embracing new information you just throw a tantrum because your tissue paper certificates didn't teach you humility...or elementary anatomy, it seems.
