The Future of Ab Training

 

The definitive reference guide to getting a six-pack

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Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S

Photography by: Dylan Coulter

A study came out years ago showing that certain infomercial devices activated the core better than traditional situps. What did I do? Ignored it, of course, because it was infomercial stuff . The problem was, the study appeared in the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association . That’s a pretty big deal. So I researched and found that all the infomercial gadgets that scored higher than the situp were basic versions of the ab wheel rollout or the plank. Then a study came out showing a group in the military that focused on planks and side planks outperformed a group that focused on situps—in a situp test!

It became clear to me that various forms of stabilization, not traditional ab exercises, are the key to developing strong abs (which also attract sexy chicks). Read on, and I’ll share what I’ve discovered about how your midsection really works and the way you need to train it.

Smarter Ab Training

The primary purpose of the core—the muscles of the abdomen, including the abs, lower back, and lats—is not to flex the spine, as in crunches and situps, but to stabilize it, preventing the spine from moving. Stuart McGill, a leading expert on lower-back pain, has repeatedly shown that you can work your core more intensely with stability training than with traditional flexion exercises. It’s also safer, because flexing the lumbar spine is the exact same action that can ultimately lead to disc herniation. Let me be 100% clear: I believe so strongly in training stabilization over flexion that I don’t have my clients do any situp or crunch variations anymore. At my training facility, we’ve further broken down core work into three distinct categories.

Pure Stabilization Training

The goal here is just to keep your spine straight, so it’s as simple as holding a plank, or side plank, for time. Progressions would include elevating the feet, reducing the base of support (try raising one elbow and the opposite foot off the floor), introducing instability (such as resting your elbows on a Swiss ball), or holding for a longer time.

Dynamic Stabilization

This is a bit of a misnomer, since dynamic means “moving” and stabilization means “don’t move.” But it also may best describe the true purpose of the core: to stabilize the spine while the extremities are moving. Sample exercises are a front plank with pulldown combo (get into a plank in front of a low cable pulley or resistance band, and pull the handle toward you), ab wheel rollout, mountain climber, and half-kneeling cable chop.

The goal is always to allow zero movement in the spine or core. The core muscles have to control the forces from the extremities and stabilize accordingly. With mountain climbers, for instance, there can be no lumbar flexion at all (the lower back cannot round, a common problem).

Integrated stabilization

This is where we do traditional exercises with a twist—for example, using one dumbbell instead of two in a lunge or shoulder press. Basically, we off set the center of gravity and force the core to work harder than it would with a traditional exercise. Sample movements would be suitcase walks (a farmer's walk, like strongmen do, but holding only one dumbbell), Turkish getups, and various lunges and presses with uneven loads (one heavier dumbbell in one hand or weight on one side and not the other).

That’s it. Designing your core workouts with exercises that fit these categories is all you’ll ever need to build strong abs and an injury-resistant lower back. They can be used as a single progression—one month you could focus only on pure stabilization, work on dynamic movements the next month, and then finally do integrated stabilization exercises the month after—or as a separate focus on each of your training days. See the sample training week at right to get an idea of how your core work can be scheduled. I recommend doing all core exercises, except the ones in the integrated stabilization category, first in your workouts, before you train other muscle groups.

The Workouts:

Day I

Pure Stabilization

1. PLANK

Work up to 90 seconds with feet elevated on a bench.

Get into pushup position and then lower your elbows to the floor so you’re resting on your forearms. Brace your abs as if you’re going to take a punch to the gut. Your entire body should form a straight line from head to toe. When you can hold it for 90 seconds, place your feet on a bench and begin again.

2. SIDE PLANK

Work up to 45 seconds with feet elevated on a bench.

Lie on your left side on the floor, and place your left elbow directly under your shoulder. Press your forearm flat into the floor and raise your hips off the floor. Brace your abs and hold your body in a straight line. When you can hold it for 45 seconds on each side, place your feet on a bench and begin again.

Day II

Dynamic Stabilization

1A SLIDING DISC PUSH AWAY

Ten to 12 reps on each arm

Get into a pushup position and rest each hand on a sliding disc (get a set at Valslide.com) or weight plate wrapped in a towel. Keeping your core braced and your body in a straight line, push one arm out away from you on the floor as far as you can. Pull it back in and then repeat with the other arm.

Ten to 12 reps on each leg. Rest 60 seconds and repeat the superset once more.

1B SWISS BALL MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

Place your hands on a Swiss ball and get into pushup position. Brace your abs and alternately draw one knee up to the midline of your body. Lift the knee as high as you can without rounding the spine or flattening the natural curve in your lower back.

2. HALF-KNEELING CROSS-BODY CABLE CHOPS

Two sets of 10–12 reps on each side.

Tip: The goal is always to allow zero movement at the spine or core. Control your extremities.

Grab the bare cable from a high pulley of a cable station, and get into a lunge position next to it. Pull the cable over your left shoulder, and draw it diagonally downward across your body. Do not let your torso move.

DAY III

INTEGRATED STABILIZATION

1 TURKISH GETUP COUNTDOWN

Perform five reps on each side, then four, and on down until you reach one rep. Rest only as long as you need to switch arms with the weight.

Hold a weight in your left hand and lie on the floor with your left knee bent and foot flat on the floor. Your right leg should be straight, and your right arm angled 45 degrees to your side. Now raise your torso off the floor, keeping your left arm straight overhead, and then stand up. Reverse the motion to return to the floor.

2. SUITCASE WALK/RACK WALK

Walk 20 yards with the weight at your side, and then walk back with it at shoulder level. Repeat once more.

Pick up a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell, and walk about 20 yards keeping your torso straight and the opposite hand on your hip. Now clean the weight to the rack position (shoulder height) and walk back. Repeat on the other side. Keep the opposite arm close to your side to maximize the load through your core.