Working abs while bulking

[StanUk]

Hey all, I am currently in the phase of bulking, some stats:

22 years old
5ft 11
175 lbs
No idea on bodyfat, estimate around 14% ?

Anywho, my abs are quite solid, i snowboard a lot and this has strengthed them, but there not visible, and this doesnt bother me, my question is, is it worth training them? I still snowboard and this works them but would it be beneficial to keep doing crunches/situps etc? I understand strong abs can help in lifts such as squats.

Thanks.

 

[Double D]

Of course still work them. Having a very strong core helps with your other lifts. Besides whenever you decide to cut you want to have your abs built up the way you want them.

 

[StanUk]

Yeh good point, my only concern was with the extra calories burnt working them, but i suppose this is quite neglicable.

 

[Double D]

Hell you probably wouldnt burn more than 50 cals. working abs and that maybe pushing it. If thats the case just eat a bit more throughout the day. Best of luck.

 

[goob]

StanUK: Where do you board in the UK?

Got to say, that boarding is one of the hardest sports on your whole body. The first day back after a while out is a killer, but so worth it.

 

[StanUk]

Cheers Double D.

Goob: I board at the tamworth snowdome, its only around 8 miles away from me, you ever boarded there? I Couldnt agree more, it can be quite strenuous on the body and I usually ache the day after, but it does me the world of good.

 

[goob]

Cheers Double D.

Goob: I board at the tamworth snowdome, its only around 8 miles away from me, you ever boarded there? I Couldnt agree more, it can be quite strenuous on the body and I usually ache the day after, but it does me the world of good.

No can't say I have. Always hit the hills up in Scotland - when theres some snow....not often. At least not a good coverage, but when you get a good day its pretty damn good fun. Horizontal rain and 50mph winds withstanding!!! Only thing is, none of them are a challenge. Got to head abroad for some decent terrain, but I've heard good things about Tamworth, theres one near Glasgow, but I don't think its in the same league as Tamworth.

 

[StanUk]

Thats cool, I can imagine the Scotish highlands being a lot of fun! I was going to try them out a couple years ago but it didnt happen, bit hit and miss as you say in terms of snow conditions and its a good journey for me, at least 300 miles maybe more. Not heard about the Glasgow one, might be worth checking out though, whereabouts are you in England? I know their building a real good indoor snow arena in Sheffield at the moment, not sure when it will be finished. Besides that though as you say, its best to go abroad, i've been to Andorra for a week and I was in Les Arcs france for 3 months 2 years ago, boarding every single day, it was great fun and I highly recomend it if you ever get the chance.

 

[viet_jon]

there's more to working the core than crunches which are just as imporant. Do a search in the training forum, you'll find tonnes of threads.

Stability
Rotational

 

[AKIRA]

Id have to say working the abs is important no matter what.

Like any newbie, I worked on my abs to get them to "show." However, through my certification and constant reading/bickering on here, Ive learned that having them show is a low priority.

Funny how when I stopped doing abs all together, my injury occurred. I never did that much, leg raises, reverse crunches, ball crunches, rope crunches, BUT after I was certified I moved on to doing planks, glute bridges, oblique crunches. Some other movements I kept, but the volume was way lower.

 

[goob]

Thats cool, I can imagine the Scotish highlands being a lot of fun! I was going to try them out a couple years ago but it didnt happen, bit hit and miss as you say in terms of snow conditions and its a good journey for me, at least 300 miles maybe more. Not heard about the Glasgow one, might be worth checking out though, whereabouts are you in England? I know their building a real good indoor snow arena in Sheffield at the moment, not sure when it will be finished. Besides that though as you say, its best to go abroad, i've been to Andorra for a week and I was in Les Arcs france for 3 months 2 years ago, boarding every single day, it was great fun and I highly recomend it if you ever get the chance.

Yeah man, the highlands are pretty good, but only if your not getting hit by evil weather. Good that you got abroad too, even just 6 days of solid boarding at a time improves me beyond all reconition. I've been boarding for about 10 years, and can handle pretty much anything, but i always find that after a week on hot terrain, i'm stilll improving. Have been boarding in La Plagne, Les trois vallies, Sestriere, Sauze in Italy. Can't beat it. Hope to get enough cash at some point to hit that mecca for boarding - Whistler.
3 months in Les Arcs sounds class, I've heard its top stuff there.
- I always find how its amazing how you can hit the sauce big time every night, and still board like a demon the next day...first coulpe of runs are usually ropey though.

 

[StanUk]

Thanks for the advice guys, I have been neglecting my mid section a little but, up till now it hasnt been a massive priority for me.

Goob: Sounds like you've been to some good resorts man, boarding 10 years as well? thats some serious dedication, ive been boarding around 4 years now myself. I know what your saying about improving after just a week in a resort, the problem with the snowdome is thats its very limited, im more of a recreational boarder most the time, the snowdome doesnt really have anything in the way of 'freeriding' so its usually just a case of hitting the kickers they have, which is good by me, but I can go months and months without any real progression, whereas if im away at a resort abroad I feel myself progressing a lot more. Like you aswell, I was looking into going to whistler next february, but I think its gonna fall through due to lack of money and stuff.

I know just what your saying bout hitting the sauce and still boarding good the day after! must be the mountain air that sorts your head out!

 

[goob]

Thats kinda why i never hit the dry slopes, i need to have a large area to freeride on, even the biggest hills in the highlands can be hammered in a bout 1-2 minutes if you go flatout. Having said that, it limits me to having only 7 or 8 decent days boarding a year, not including going abroad (which is really a must). So I guess having Tamworth on the doorstep is a major bonus, kickers, rails etc. can be a lot of fun.
Good luck with the training, and keep up the good work boarding.

 

[StanUk]

Ah thats a shame, still I bet its worth the wait for those 7 or 8 days! Yeh its a massive bonus I suppose, means i can board all year round which is always good. Thankyou very much, same to you

 

[JimSnow]

Many athletes have nice abs... but never work them.

I'm not an athlete... but after 7 months of training, I've haven't yet begun to work my abs. I've gotten into basic shape. You can see by my gallery that I don't have a great deal of problems showing them.

I'm not sure it's imperative, because every full-body movement you do utilizes and developes "core strenth"... though, certainly, you will benefit from ab work. It's not a priority.

I'm not ready to "isolate" groups.

 

[viet_jon]

Many athletes have nice abs... but never work them.

I'm not an athlete... but after 7 months of training, I've haven't yet begun to work my abs. I've gotten into basic shape. You can see by my gallery that I don't have a great deal of problems showing them.

I'm not sure it's imperative, because every full-body movement you do utilizes and developes "core strenth"... though, certainly, you will benefit from ab work. It's not a priority.

I'm not ready to "isolate" groups.

quoted from article below

Our current line of thinking when examining the ab muscles is geared toward producing motion (e.g. rectus abdominus contraction leads to trunk flexion). However, Sahrmann states in her book, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, that a significant role of the lower rectus abdominus and external obliques is actually preventing motion, or promoting stability of the lumbo-pelvic region.

So, while many of you are focusing the majority of your ab training on trunk flexion movements (e.g. crunches), you should be working on the opposite movement: posterior tilting of the pelvis. This allows us to function from a more efficient position biomechanically.

core article