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Axial abs: want to get a six-pack? Then train your spine
Men's Fitness, Nov, 2005 by Alwyn Cosgrove
Q: How should skinny guys train abs?
A: Rather than hitting abs exclusively, aim for big-muscle exercises that don't target the abs directly. For example, while most guys normally think of a standing overhead press as a shoulder exercise, it actually places great resistance on the spine--what trainers call "axial loading." When the spine is under stress, the muscles of your abs and lower back (the core) contract in order to keep you safely balanced and upright. Because supporting a load overhead can cause your body to turn or sway, your entire abdomen must work to prevent that rotation. This makes axial-loading exercises far better ab builders than crunches. (Think about it: When you get on your back to do a crunch, you work fewer muscle fibers because lying on the ground doesn't require much coordination or spine support.) This isn't to say that isolated ab training is useless, but to build the most overall muscle while keeping your abs sharp, you're simply better off performing exercises such as squats, dead-lifts, and overhead presses (all of which load the spine, working the abs). If you do any direct ab work, make it 2-4 sets of a rotational exercise, such as Russian twists, one or two times a week.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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