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Soldier

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Do you feel planks have any value for ab strength, or am I better off sticking with weighted sit ups?
 
WhyNotBoth.jpg
 
Ab wheel rollouts and weighted crunches are my go to's. But a twisting movement to get the obliques as well is a good thing. Hanging leg raises to the sides or the clock if you can manage it
 
Ab wheel rollouts and weighted crunches are my go to's. But a twisting movement to get the obliques as well is a good thing. Hanging leg raises to the sides or the clock if you can manage it

My PT had me doing ab roll outs with legs on a yoga ball. Now that was serious hard shit. The hanging leg windshield wiper can also be a tuff bitch - not sure what gets worked out more, my abs or my wrist/hip extensors lol
 
The muscles of the torso are just like any other, why treat them any different?

isometrics enable one to hold tremendous weight weight, but moving through full range is much more effective.

I actually want isometric core strength. Benefits the deadlift and I just want to be able to hold a good front lever.

Your argument makes sense though. Why train them any different to another muscle group.

I don't really like crunches at all as they seem to aggravate my lower back for some reason so my go to core exercises are front levers, ab wheel rollouts and I like side planks (and I do the thread the needle thing for thoracic mobility at the same time)
 
I actually want isometric core strength. Benefits the deadlift and I just want to be able to hold a good front lever.

Your argument makes sense though. Why train them any different to another muscle group.

I don't really like crunches at all as they seem to aggravate my lower back for some reason so my go to core exercises are front levers, ab wheel rollouts and I like side planks (and I do the thread the needle thing for thoracic mobility at the same time)

two really underrated exercises are the hanging leg raise, bring the leg up where the feet are above the head, creates a really effective ab exercise.

the other one I really like are side bends with a real heavy weight, done for 10 to 15 rep's, but it's got to be done properly.
 
two really underrated exercises are the hanging leg raise, bring the leg up where the feet are above the head, creates a really effective ab exercise.

the other one I really like are side bends with a real heavy weight, done for 10 to 15 rep's, but it's got to be done properly.

aah yep, don't mind the old leg raises. Shoulder's don't particularly though even on the nuetral grip trx. Weird.

Do you think a side bend is required? I've never done one in my life and my obliques are fairly large (to the point that my torso is a bit blocky, or maybe I just have small lats?)
 
aah yep, don't mind the old leg raises. Shoulder's don't particularly though even on the nuetral grip trx. Weird.

Do you think a side bend is required? I've never done one in my life and my obliques are fairly large (to the point that my torso is a bit blocky, or maybe I just have small lats?)

I think these are really useful for strengthening the smaller transverse muscles that connect and run up the spine.

i think the trick is to not go past the mid-line, if the weight is in the left hand, contract the right side real tight and hold, then back to the mid line, about 15 to. 20. Is good for me, holding a 35kg db
 
Side bends hurt when you bend add far as the body allows.
At what point do you stop [MENTION=3627]Silverback[/MENTION]; ?
 
Side bends hurt when you bend add far as the body allows.
At what point do you stop @Silverback; ?

Like I said Shrek, and as also stated by many of the older blokes (and this goes for me), if you're holding the weight in your left hand for example, you want to be using the erectors on the right of you spine.

so the starting point is where the spine is straight, weight in left hand
i bend to the right and really squeeze and hold, the slowly move back (negative portion) to the starting position ( spine straight) I don't move past that point.

you can really feel a burn deep down in the spine, when you do you know this exercise is working right.

these smaller muscles are going to fatigue a lot quicker than the obliques.

the side bend is just a really great back strengthening exercise.
 

Thoughts??

Yeah , he is right.

the best way to find the right exercise is to place the muscle you want to strengthen in its stretched position, then in to its contracted position, follow the path of the limb, that's the exercise you need.
 
Yeah , he is right.

the best way to find the right exercise is to place the muscle you want to strengthen in its stretched position, then in to its contracted position, follow the path of the limb, that's the exercise you need.

The other thing that irritates me is how this goose is describing the side bend and which hand he's holding it in.
 
Good pick up, thanks.

i don't see any benefit doing both, unless you have some sort of mobility issue.

what do you think?

A plank is purely an eccentric exercise, and it works your entire core. Where crunches are at best semi contracting the abs only.

The ROM and form of a crunch can vary too much. It's probably one of the most incorrectly executed exercises I see. Where a plank, you can't really cheat. You're virtually using your entire body at once to stabilise itself.
 
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