No need for extra core work if you squat

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J Strength Cond Res. 2007 Nov;21(4):1108-12. Links
Trunk muscle activation during dynamic weight-training exercises and isometric instability activities.

Hamlyn N, Behm DG, Young WB.
Hamlyn, N., D.G. Behm, and W.B. Young. Trunk muscle activation during dynamic weight-training exercises and isometric instability activities. J. Strength Cond. Res. 21(4): 1108-1112. 2007.-The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of activation in various trunk muscles during dynamic weight-training and isometric instability exercises. Sixteen subjects performed squats and deadlifts with 80% 1 repetition maximum (1RM), as well as with body weight as resistance and 2 unstable calisthenic-type exercises (superman and sidebridge). Electromyographic (EMG) activity was measured from the lower abdominals (LA), external obliques (EO), upper lumbar erector spinae (ULES), and lumbar-sacral erector spinae (LSES) muscle groups. Results indicated that the LSES EMG activity during the 80% 1RM squat significantly exceeded 80% 1RM deadlift LSES EMG activity by 34.5%. The LSES EMG activity of the 80% 1RM squat also exceeded the body weight squat, deadlift, superman, and sidebridge by 56, 56.6, 65.5, and 53.1%, respectively. The 80% 1RM deadlift ULES EMG activity significantly exceeded the 80% 1RM squat exercise by 12.9%. In addition, the 80% 1RM deadlift ULES EMG activity also exceeded the body weight squat, deadlift, superman, and sidebridge exercises by 66.7, 65.5, 69.3, and 68.6%, respectively. There were no significant changes in EO or LA activity. Therefore, the augmented activity of the LSES and ULES during 80% 1RM squat and deadlift resistance exercises exceeded the activation levels achieved with the same exercises performed with body weight and selected instability exercises. Individuals performing upright, resisted, dynamic exercises can achieve high trunk muscle activation and thus may not need to add instability device exercises to augment core stability training.
 
Woot! Must be why my midsection is nice and hard still when I tense it up. I don't do any direct ab work anymore and it seems to still work for me because I do squats and dead lifts.
 
Before anyone mentions that EMG studies aren't necessarily cogent to actual muscle breakdown, I'll hazard a thought that the percentages of the squat reading are so much higher than the other exersizes, I would tend to believe the conclusion of the study: Squats are best for you.
Anyone who disagrees just doesn't know squat.
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powerlifter stevejones once said that he never did abs, but since he can squat like 800 lb,s or something he said he tried doing weighted crunches one day and actually laughed at how easy they were compared to heavy squats and such.
 
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(colby2152 @ Feb. 07 2008,01:48)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">EMG statistics are evident, so are we back to 20 rep squats?  
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Hell yeah, assuming that 20 reps is 4 sets of 5 with a heavy a$$ weight!  
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Actually, I think extra core work may have its place, particularly if you are involved in contact sports like rugby, football, basketball, judo etc. The study did say &quot;may not need to&quot;. It just depends on what you want to do. So, some kind of weighted core rotation work might be useful (not those broom-handle-behind-the-head twist things). I'm sure all the muscles do get worked squatting and deadlifting but a more specific exercise with enough resistance could make those muscles work a bit harder still.

A lot of the old school bodybuilders wouldn't do heavy side-bends because they didn't want to thicken their waists. Instead, some did endless low resistance reps - pretty much a waste of time especially as they were probably squatting and/or deadlifting heavy weights! If you are a prop forward, thickening of the waist is not usually going to be a problem for you, but good twisting strength could really help to rip the ball out of a maul or a ruck and get it out to the fly half and three quarters. SAID principle in action again.
 
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(Lol @ Feb. 06 2008,21:24)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(colby2152 @ Feb. 07 2008,01:48)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">EMG statistics are evident, so are we back to 20 rep squats?
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Hell yeah, assuming that 20 reps is 4 sets of 5 with a heavy a$$ weight!</div>
Or 20 sets of 1, and a gallon of milk...!
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Awesome study. You know I have noticed a marked decline in my cable crunch ability after a set of squats. As I have commented elsewhere, I am prioritizing abs. I was doing them first for a little while but then 2 weeks ago I couldn't hold myself upright during squats. The behavior of my abs is baffling me right now as I have actually lost cable crunch strength after adding it quite suddenly in mid January. This study will help me sleep at night, knowing that my abs are getting worked elsewhere. As Sci. Muscle has stated and I can attest to, standing presses tear up abs as well and I love me the push press. In general, I do everything standing that does not specifically require being seated (incline curls for lateral biceps as an example).

It seems to me the abs really kick on when you are in the hole. This may be attestable to that fact that the rectus abdominis flexes and stabilizes the lumbar spine. When you are in the hole, or at least when I am in the hole, my lumbar spine is very flexed (I do high bar medium stance squats below parallel).
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">rip the ball out of a maul or a ruck and get it out to the fly half and three quarters.</div> You limeys and your strange cryptic language!
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QP: would not the trunk twisting also bulk the waist? Maybe not as badly as side bends, but a lot of muscles are used to do this. Just thinking aloud.
 
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(quadancer @ Feb. 07 2008,19:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">rip the ball out of a maul or a ruck and get it out to the fly half and three quarters.</div> You limeys and your strange cryptic language!</div>
Yup, I loved that, too...!
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(Lol @ Feb. 06 2008,21:53)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">... but good twisting strength could really help to rip the ball out of a maul or a ruck and get it out to the fly half and three quarters. SAID principle in action again.</div>
The UK and the US. 2 great countries separated only by a common language.
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(Churchill?)
 
Well, not to forget the pond. If it weren't for that, my vacation plans would include a drive over to visit Lol!
Always a favorite.
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I hadn't thought of front squats and abs, but I have been thinking of trying them, as soon as I get off this job with it's longer hours and little play gym.
 
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(QuantumPositron @ Feb. 07 2008,16:54)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks for posting this drpierredebs.</div>
You are Welcome. I have been watching people in my gym doing every imaginable type of direct ab work, all trying to look like a mens health cover model and all failing miserably. Then they look at my funny when I tell them they should be squating instead. I have not done any direct ab work in almost two years and my six pack is rocking. The combination of Full Squats,  Pull-ups, heavy pull-downs, standing presses and the olympic ring training hits the core more than enough.

Every movement I do hits the core:

Pull Ups
Heavy Pulldowns
Squats
Deads
Standing Presses
Ring training
Handstands
Pushups
 
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(quadancer @ Feb. 08 2008,00:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">rip the ball out of a maul or a ruck and get it out to the fly half and three quarters.</div> You limeys and your strange cryptic language!  
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Quad, I was particularly thinking of your reaction to that when I typed it. Watch out though! Too much chuckling at 'limey speak' might thicken your midsection.
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Replacing a Swiss ball for an exercise bench causes variable changes in trunk muscle activity during upper limb strength exercises
Gregory J Lehman1 , Trish Gordon2 , Jo Langley2 , Patricia Pemrose2  and Sara Tregaskis2

1Department of Graduate Studies, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, ON, Canada
2Undergraduate Department, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, ON, Canada


Abstract
Background
The addition of Swiss balls to conventional exercise programs has recently been adopted. Swiss balls are an unstable surface which may result in an increased need for force output from trunk muscles to provide adequate spinal stability or balance. The aim of the study was to determine whether the addition of a Swiss ball to upper body strength exercises results in consistent increases in trunk muscle activation levels.

Methods
The myoelectric activity of four trunk muscles was quantified during the performance of upper body resistance exercises while seated on both a stable (exercise bench) and labile (swiss ball) surface. Participants performed the supine chest press, shoulder press, lateral raise, biceps curl and overhead triceps extension. A repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey test was used to determine the influence of seated surface type on muscle activity for each muscle.

Results &amp; Discussion
There was no statistically significant (p &lt; .05) difference in muscle activity between surface conditions. However, there was large degree of variability across subjects suggesting that some individuals respond differently to surface stability. These findings suggest that the incorporation of swiss balls instead of an exercise bench into upper body strength training regimes may not be justified based only on the belief that an increase spinal stabilizing musculature activity is inherent. Biomechanically justified ground based exercises have been researched and should form the basis for spinal stability training as preventative and therapeutic exercise training regimes.

Conclusion
Selected trunk muscle activity during certain upper limb strength training exercises is not consistently influenced by the replacement of an exercise bench with a swiss ball.
 
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