For Larger Ab Muscles - More Reps or More Weight?

[Synpax]

Been doing high reps (50-100) with a small plate (25lbs) on my chest on a decline bench for a while and they aren't growing so great.

Should I drop the reps and boost the weight up to get them to grow?

Disregard the bf% thing - that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the size of the ab muscles.

 

[fortunatesun]

Add weight.

Really, anything over 15 reps is a waste of time. Abdominal muscles are fast twitch and won't respond to high reps.

 

[fortunatesun]

These always worked well for me:




You can go as low as 6 reps a set.

 

[AEKDB]

Add weight. I use a 50lb standard weight. When that is too easy then hold the plate over head. The exercise in the vid above is great as well. Ab wheel work will also help (add weight by wearing a weight vest).

 

[SpyWizard]

put down the spoon and pick up the weight..

 

[future]

I like heavy crunches.

 

[Big_BK]

I was doing heavy decline crunches for a while. I would just have someeone pass me a 80-120lb DB and do crunches.

 

[future]

Oh yeah. Those are great. Just be careful of abdominal distention and potential fascia tearing in the abdominal wall.

 

[SouthernLord]

These always worked well for me:




You can go as low as 6 reps a set.

These done heavy in the 6-8 rep range hurt so bad.

 

[b fold the truth]

You can do abs 3-4x a week. With so many options...why not do it all?

 

[elmarcouk]

These always worked well for me:




You can go as low as 6 reps a set.

I do those kneeling down for my abs, and then kneeling at a 90* angle to it, but twisting to face it, for my obliques. I normally do it at 68kg for 15 reps. Once ive gone through abs, left and right obliques, i go back to abs once more. And by the time im done with them, i feel physically sick....its great! My abs are pretty thick! Unfortunatly im a fat bastard still so they're not visible lol!

 

[Synpax]

I tried doing them in a variety of ways with the rope pulldown.

It doesn't work because I don't weigh enough. It didn't work because I don't weigh enough. If I lower the weight so that I'm not being lifted off the ground, its way to easy. If I increase the weight, it pulls me off of the ground.

I think I will go back to slow crunches on the decline bench with heavy plates. This is what I remember Needsize said he does - really slow, too.

Thanks all.

 

[oso0960]

Instead of holding the weight on your chest, why not hold some plates behind your head? Try to avoid touching the plate to your head.

 

[Synpax]

Instead of holding the weight on your chest, why not hold some plates behind your head? Try to avoid touching the plate to your head.

Behind my head?

Its probably not a good idea since my goal is to work my abs and whatever muscles I am using to hold the plates will go out before my abs will. If I want more weight, I can just put more/bigger plates on my chest. We have some 100 lbs ones at my gym.

 

[fortunatesun]

Needsize Abs - for sure. They'll give you what you're looking for.

Link:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/weight-training-weight-lifting/needsizes-ab-routine-294097.html#post3310769

 

[Gawd]

Is there a video of how to do that needsize ab workout?
I don't really understand from the description.

 

[stephen4327]

You can do abs 3-4x a week. With so many options...why not do it all?

i like ur style. true, why not hit them all sorts of ways

 

[C.K.]

The "dragonfly" that rocky does... close to impossible lmao

 

[musketeer]

Behind my head?

Its probably not a good idea since my goal is to work my abs and whatever muscles I am using to hold the plates will go out before my abs will. If I want more weight, I can just put more/bigger plates on my chest. We have some 100 lbs ones at my gym.

Try it... take a 45lb and hold it in your lap to do the decline situps and it's easy. Hold it behind your head and traps and I doubt you'll be doing high reps.

 

[2DIEZEL]

Big abs make me look fat..

 

[trauck1506]

backwards hypers with the top of the leg and place to put your ankle at about the same height work wonders. Just be careful I tried starting out with a 45 screwed myself up. Until you get used to it it's kind of hard to do compared to declines because of stability.

 

[oso0960]

Behind my head?

Its probably not a good idea since my goal is to work my abs and whatever muscles I am using to hold the plates will go out before my abs will. If I want more weight, I can just put more/bigger plates on my chest. We have some 100 lbs ones at my gym.

Yeah behind your head. It should work the abs more than you can imagine; my abs get killed. I suppose you're talking about it working your hip flexors more or something? You must be real tight along with 99% of the human population. Fix your imbalances and behind your head will work great. I could easily do abs with 100lbs. It would be more annoying to actually get it up there to use. But a 45lb plate like musketeer said behind my head...I could probably get very few.