HST-Abdominal

[bullseye]

I was just wondering how many of you folks that use HST-increments when training abs? By that I mean a primary abdominalexercise. Let's say you are training your abs in a machine. Do you use the HST-principles?

Not sure if it's really necessary and if hypertrophy is something one want to achive when training abs?

 

[colby2152]

<div>
(bullseye @ Apr. 21 2008,12:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I was just wondering how many of you folks that use HST-increments when training abs? By that I mean a primary abdominalexercise. Let's say you are training your abs in a machine. Do you use the HST-principles?

Not sure if it's really necessary and if hypertrophy is something one want to achive when training abs?</div>
Most people do not do a specific ab exercise via HST. A lot us either do not train abs directly or do Yoga, Pilates, Tabata, Static Holds, etcetera for our abdominal muscles.

 

[bullseye]

Sounds good

I don't like the idea of doing 5 rep for abs. I'm planning to train my abs on an &quot;Ab-wheel&quot; on my offdays.

Anyone doing them with HST-principles? Results?

 

[bullseye]

I noticed that Bryan included abs in his 10rep HST-sample routine. I couldn't find anything specific about abdominal-training among the HST-principles on the site or in the FAQ-section in this forum.

 

[Totentanz]

I've trained abs a couple different cycles and did them HST style. If you want to get some size in your abs, which will make them look better when you have low enough bodyfat for them to show, then by all means do them HST style. So yeah, hypertrophy of the abs is a good thing. If you have little tiny abs then when you cut down low enough for them to be visible, they will not look as aesthetically pleasing.

Personally, I've found that these days, ab exercises are unnecessary. Although I rarely ever train abs directly, I can do situps, crunches, etc with so much weight now due to all the compounds I do that it is almost pointless to hit them directly. But that is talking about ab strength. I don't know if deadlifting, etc is responsible for my abs being as thick as they are - it could be due to the cycles of HST where I did ab exercises.

So... I would suggest doing them for a cycle and seeing what happens.

 

[quadancer]

Personally, I believe that there are 3 types of waist, from wasp to pears, discounting the fat itself. Therefore, if one has the tree trunk like mine or larger, growing muscle amidships only makes you look fatter when not at the far end of a cut. So I would only do really high-rep stuff for myself with lighter weight or BW for conditioning, and to keep the muscles from getting any larger. Showing them is a matter of fatloss, showing more of them is a matter of muscle size. But one has to take into account the overall symmetry.
Like Tot and others, we get abwork from squats, bench, and such. They grow from that.

 

[bullseye]

I've done one cycle now with HST-ab training. My weight increased with 2 kg during this cycle. Not just my abs though

The next HST-cycle my ab-work will happen on my offdays, because like you guys said, the abs get their workout during other exercises like squats and deadlifts. My workout will then only consist of 5 compound exercises which I can spend a lot of focus on. On my offdays I can have full focus on abs and possibly some cardio. Things are starting to fall into place!

 

[Totentanz]

Remember though, if you aren't squatting or deadlifting very heavy yet, that may not be sufficient for abs. Guys like quad, myself, etc who feel those exercises are enough... well, strangely, we are also deadlifting and squatting a fair amount of weight. Proper form on these exercises will also be necessary, as you probably assumed.

 

[colby2152]

<div>
(Totentanz @ Apr. 22 2008,7:23)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Remember though, if you aren't squatting or deadlifting very heavy yet, that may not be sufficient for abs. Guys like quad, myself, etc who feel those exercises are enough... well, strangely, we are also deadlifting and squatting a fair amount of weight. Proper form on these exercises will also be necessary, as you probably assumed.</div>
Bent-over rows (and Pendlays) hit the abs as well. Once again, higher loads are in order for the abdominals to be stimulated.

 

[SoxFan]

i like doing Tabatas on the heavy bag. that really hits the abs and whole upper body if done with proper form.. My abs are screaming after a heavy bag session.

 

[lcars]

working abs is important for core strength when squating and deadlifting, but i tend to focus on my transverse abdominals more, to bring more stabilty to the spine.