Ab training for squats, dealifts...How important?

[vinylgroover]

My squat has been fairly steady for sometime and i'm curious as to whether it may have something to do with the fact i have dropped dirct ab work. Obviously the abs are imprtant as a stabilizer during the squat, but how important is it in terms of busting out of a rut and continuously increasing squat poundage or evendeadlift poundage for that matter.

 

[coolcolj]

Its funny, its like one of those "which came first the Chicken or the egg!"

Squats builds abs, but yet weak abs stops big squats

I think they help, but the lower back is more important, but you need the abs to balance the strength of the lower back.
I haven't bothered to work my abs all that much other than a couple sets of hanging leg raises once every 2 weeks.

This hasn't hurt me one bit, my full back squat is rising at a rate of 10lbs a week, since front squats, back squats, overhead squats, Olympic lifts all build up the abs quite a bit.

 

[JOKER47]

I have noticed my deads and squats moving up in weight since I started incormorating more ab work during the week. Just from that, in my experience, I would say that it does make a difference.

But again, that's just me.


.02,
Joker

 

[spatts]

They are EXTRAORDINARILY important. In fact, on ME and DE squat days, the only accessory work is hams, abs, and back. Every square inch of your core goes into a decent squat and building any portion of it will help your numbers.

I was even warned that I may not be able to cross compete in BB because my waist could get so thick (with obliques) from squatting. BRING IT ON.

 

[vinylgroover]

i've always been a big advocate of training synergistic muscle groups, but got a bit lazy with abs. Well not so much lazy, it's just abs don't enthuse me because i'm not 'lifting'.

I think i better incorporate them into my workout again.

 

[coolcolj]

I don't think you need to work abs spheficly, just target your core muscles renegade style. That's what I do.

as you said ab work is boring but stuff like overhead squats and woodchoppers are fun

like Dan John said - specialization is for insects

 

[OlympicLifter17]

I train my abs using medicine balls and Sledghammers. It trains them explosivly which is the key to olympic lifting.


lifter

 

[spatts]

I'm a fan of training muscles in the plane and manner in which you use them. So I train abs standing with high stability, high intensity moves.

 

[Vortexx]

form follows function. i understand that spatts trains auxillery muscles in the same plane of motion that is used for the core lift....


NEEDSIZE posted a nice abroutine, with LOTS o static / stabillizing stress, wich i think will transfer especially nicely to squats and deads....

He does partial situps on an incline bench, meaning he lowers his body veeery slowly to halfway and keep that position for 5 seconds, flexing hard, using static contraction after which he slowly moves his torso forward to a full isokenetic contraction

I think this way the abs works hardest when in a semi-upright position, which is also the case with squats

Also worthwhile for improving squat i think are the leg raises as it is a concert of pevlis stabillisation and psoas leg muscles etc.. which are heavioy taxed during squats, especially if you use good form and try to not to lean froward when doing squats......


Offcoarse for cosmetic bodybuilding purposes you must incluse crunches or crunch machine, but i think the benfits do not tranfer as much to squats as the other twoo exercises

 

[jerkbox]

also, developing your abs will help prevent getting a hernia from heavy squats and deads. I know a guy who has had 2 of em....