Power Abs: build strong abs in six weeks with this radical program that attacks the belly of the beast

Muscle & Fitness, July, 2006 by Jim Stoppani

The Power Abs Program's focus is to not only streamline your waist by getting rid of the flab but also etch in deep abdominal muscle--so whenever you take off your shirt, your six-pack will be clearly visible. The keys to such a look is a low-fat diet (that, you knew) and training your abs with weights--which you may not have known. And here's more: Powerlifters and strongmen have great abs. Sure, they're buried under layers of bodyfat, but deep under that flab are an incredibly developed rectus abdominis, external obliques, and the deeper internal obliques and transverse abdominis. Those guys need to have super-strong and well-developed ab muscles to lift the massive amounts of resistance required by their sports.

Like a powerlifter, you want strong abs. Without a well-developed midsection, you would bend like a twig when doing everyday tasks like lifting a toddler or carrying groceries. And a stronger midsection means more strength on all your other exercises, since that's your core. Unlike a powerlifter, however, you want a chiseled six-pack. But ripped, powerful abs seems like an oxymoron, right? Not with the Power Abs Program.

Unlike most trainees, powerlifters don't do endless reps of crunches. Quite the contrary: They perform weighted ab exercises and manipulate their reps and sets to work on strength and endurance. When you want to build bigger bi's or develop a chiseled chest, you cycle exercises, weight and reps. For some reason, though, you probably train abs differently, mindlessly crunching your way to nowhere. But make no mistake--the abs respond like any other muscle group. They require variety in exercises, reps, rest periods and use of weights. That last part is how the Power Abs Program differs from most conventional midsection philosophies.

Each two-week phase of the six-week program has one core, one oblique, and one upper- and lower-ab exercise to attack your midsection from every angle. With this plan in hand (along with the accompanying diet on page 124), you'll develop abs worthy of both a powerlifter and a bodybuilder.

Before you can show off a set of trim, muscular abs, you need to develop muscle fibers that are worth seeing. Perform this workout twice a week at the end of any other bodypart training routine. Rest 2-3 days between the two ab workouts to allow the muscles adequate time to recover.

PHASE 1 (WEEKS 1-2)

Train with heavy weight and low reps to build up your abs and make them stronger. Contrary to popular belief, training with high reps isn't the best way to increase ab mass or strength. The abs are like other muscle fibers in the body--to make them bigger, use heavier resistance with a low-to-moderate rep range.

PHASE 2 (WEEKS 3-4)

This phase emphasizes circuits with no rest between sets to start building endurance and intensity as well as add some variety to your routine.

During this phase, perform the exercises in a nonstop circuit. Do two circuits the first week and three the second (this is also known as a giant set). Perform this workout three times a week at the end of any routine, resting at least one day between ab workouts.

Do not rest between exercises within a superset, but rest one minute between supersets. Perform two of each superset during Week 5 and three of each superset in Week 6. Do this workout three times a week at the end of any routine, resting at least one day between ab workouts.

PHASE 3 (WEEKS 5-6)

Perform supersets that hit all abdominal muscles for complete development of strength, stamina and mass. Supersets keep intensity high while you focus on each of these three aspects of muscular recruitment.

Abdominal Exercises

CORE                              LOWER ABS

Exercise-Ball Rollout on Incline  Medicine-Ball Hip Thrust

Weighted Plank                    Dragon Flag

Woodchop                          Cable Reverse Crunch

UPPER ABS                         OBLIQUES

Standing Cable Crunch             Decline Russian Twist

Dumbbell Crunch                   One-Arm Deadlift

Medicine-Ball Crunch/Throw        Standing Cable Oblique Crunch

EXERCISE                   SETS/REPS OR TIME     REST

Weighted Plank                 2/30 sec.        2 min.

One-Arm Deadlift          2/6 reps (each side)  2 min.

Medicine-Ball Hip Thrust      2/8-10 reps       2 min.

Dumbbell Crunch                2/6-8 reps       2 min.

EXERCISE                    SETS/REPS        REST

Exercise-Ball Rollout       2-3/10-15        none
 on Incline

Dragon Flag                  2-3/8-12        none

Standing Cable Crunch       2-3/10-12        none

Decline Russian Twist  2-3/8-10 (each side)  none

CORE SUPERSET

EXERCISE           SETS/REPS OR TIME     REST

Weighted Plank         2/30 sec.         none

-superset with-

Woodchop         2/15 reps (each side)  1 min.

STRENGTH SUPERSET

EXERCISE               SET/REPS    REST

Standing Cable Crunch    2/6-8     none

-superset with-

Cable Reverse Crunch     2/6-8    1 min.

ENDURANCE SUPERSET

EXERCISE                            SETS/REPS        REST

Medicine-Ball Crunch/Throw           2/20-30         none

-superset with-

Standing Cable Oblique Crunch  2/20-30 (each side)  1 min.