Directly work abs or do they get enough work already?

[cola]

I feel like this is an ongoing debate, paticularly on bodybuilding.com and other forums.

Everyone I know with a decent set says they do.
But Mike Rashid has great abs and he says he does no direct ab work.

So do your abs get enough work from deads, squats etc or do they need to be worked on directly.
Thanks

 

[AttackFormation]

I feel like this is an ongoing debate, paticularly on bodybuilding.com and other forums.

That is because people use different approaches. Some have such low body fat in that area that their abs are visible anyway and they don't need to enlarge them much. Some take drugs. Some have a decent body fat but need dedicated training to get them out.

Everyone I know with a decent set says they do.

Which makes sense, since the abs are a muscle like any other. It's not like it hurts to dedicate training to them anyway, making them bigger and stronger = better aesthetics, posture and lifting safety.

But Mike Rashid has great abs and he says he does no direct ab work.

That is because Mike Rashid is on drugs, and drugs make you more ripped than if you trained but didn't take drugs. He doesn't need direct anything-work.

So do your abs get enough work from deads, squats etc or do they need to be worked on directly.
Thanks

Although the abs get stimulated, they do not function as a prime mover in any of those lifts - no one fails a deadlift because their stomach gives out. It's the same thing as asking if wide-grip dips will work your triceps enough, they will be worked but not to their maximum capacity. If you want to focus on your abs/triceps then you do stuff like weighted planks/tight-grip dips respectively. Try stacking 40 kilos on your back when you plank and tell me it's the same thing as using your abs during a compound lift!

 

[AttackFormation]

I contend that if you're eating and training is on point, you'll get abs without training them directly.

You certainly will, but they will be bigger if you do some direct work - this is of most significance if like mine your bf is good enough for you to be considered lean but not poster boy material (which imo is good enough). I personally do weighted planks 2-3 times a week for 12-18 total sets per week which has given me much better abs than before I did so and trusted on "passive" stimulation only, I'd say the OP should try that for 2-3 months and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Tenacity]

Again, comes down to how YOUR body is responding. Are your abs popping out from doing very little ab muscle building work and just focusing on other aspects (eating, cardio and weightlifting)? If so, then the answer for your body is that you don't have to do a lot of direct ab exercise work.

For TENACITY, oh you better believe, I have to do ab work. What's been working for me are ab exercises with weight tied to them rather than just doing basic crunches or the alternative bicycle movements without weights. I'm building and toning the ab muscles in particular, while continuing to slash body fat so the newly developed "abs" can be visibly flexed and displayed. Just like with my biceps and chest, I can actually "flex" my ab muscles (rectus and obliques). So I incorporate Ab work into my exercise routines for a good amount of my monthly sessions because it's what my body needs.

 

[Mr Wright]

I've also had a 6 pack but recently added leg raisers into my programme and my abs are harder and much more defined. I know once I cut down to #
~8% they be the best they've ever been.

 

[speed dawg]

I recommend working your abs directly, if for nothing else, posture. Weak abs and tight hips is what causes low back pain.