For my fellow gym rats?

[Anon-ee-mous]

I'm finally get back into working my core in the gym after a minor-ish back injury caused me to have to nurse it back to health. I've recently decided to see just how cut up I can get, especially in my core. I've always admired guys that have super defined cores.

For those who are more than casual gym goers and have seen results, do you find that volume > weight is the best policy? Or do you try to challenge your lower back, obliques, and abdomen with heavy enough weight to really get the muscle tension going?

[Theguyoverthere]

I do compound movements mostly that involve my core so I get to work muscle groups in addition to my core. In addition to that I'll alternate between heavy weight/low reps and light weight/high reps. I honestly don't feel as much core work during the light weight sets honestly.

As for "super defined cores" are you referring to people having really defined six packs? Because that's heavily determined by having a low body fat %. Getting below 10% is usually where people see their abs the most but it does differ between people and where their fat gets stored. People who work out don't typically stay that low in body fat without the aid of drugs and honestly, many researchers feel it is unhealthy to stay that low year round. A natural lifter would usually cut down to that weight before a show and then go back to their "off season" look.

[Anon-ee-mous]

Agreed, dipping down into the single digits isn't something that I'm going to stick to. I really just want to know that I can get there (by getting there lol). I'm trying to figure out a diet to start cutting the body fat, but wanted to see how to structure my gym sessions (high weight/low reps vs. low weight/high reps)

[Theguyoverthere]

I think something like 1 week heavy 1 week light will do just fine. As for diet I hear a lot of people are getting into this "iifym" diet where they track proteins fats and carbs.

[AmongTheApples]

Actually, you need to alternate between the two, doing light weight but a lot reps for a while and then switching to high weight but low reps for a while. Also, if you want six pack abs, then you need to also eat healthy and do cardio. I trained for 6 months (first doing cardio and then weight lifting and finally doing both together), and neither one by themselves got me there, but I quickly obtained a 6 pack when I started doing both. It was a dramatic change and fast. Just about every day I noticed a change in my abs.

[Kythe]

Body fat is a big factor. For most guys, abs won't generally be substantially visible at more than 10% body fat levels.

[AmongTheApples]

I know. That's why he needs to eat healthy and do cardio in addition to weight lifting.

[Kythe]

I have absolutely nothing against cardio (I'm a runner), but losing body fat *can* be done without it. A lot comes down to how carefully you want to track calories...

[AmongTheApples]

Yeah, I'll give you that. I'll concede that, if he wants to track calories and go on a very strict diet, then he could probably achieve it that way without doing cardio.

[Anon-ee-mous]

@AmongTheApples, I did have another question but I'll keep the notifications off of that other answer. I'm in braces right now but after they come out, I'm considering taking up some form of MMA because I've always liked it. But until then, I kind semi-train for endurance + strength/power with different types of anaerobic routines.

I'm not training for any particular sport right now and of course having cardio endurance doesn't hurt. But is there any real benefit to really trying to up your endurance if all I really do currently is body build and weight train?

[AmongTheApples]

That's cool man. I almost did the same thing on my last two replies.

It depends on how serious a bodybuilder you are. All professional and semi-professional bodybuilders do cardio at least 3-4 times a week, and often even more than that before a contest. I came really close to getting a 6 pack without cardio, but you couldn't quite see the bottom two. I got there fast though when I added cardio. You could get there by counting calories and going on a strict diet, but it'd be very hard.

It'll also help your endurance throughout the day and even a bit while weightlifting. Once you reach a certain point (you probably have to do so many minutes before this happens), it'll cause the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters (like endorphins) that will stimulate you (give you energy and suppress your appetite) and help with soreness and pain and other benefits. Plus, it won't be as hard to reach a higher endurance level when you start MMA training.

[FastTrackHeart]

I'm a college athlete and we spend a lot of time in the gym. And surprisingly I hardly do abs but they've never looked this good in years.
It's all about form when doing other lifts. Your abs help to keep stability and protect you back. Before when my abs were weak I sprained my back and even gave myself nerve damage! But since then I've never been stronger. Also, if you do do abs it honestly doesn't matter the weight. It's all about pushing through that "burning ab" feeling. If you usually stop when the burn comes you need to push through it. You'll see results wayyyy faster like this.

[AmongTheApples]

Even though I have a six pack, this is primary how I train my abs too (by having them stabilize me while I do other lifts).

[FastTrackHeart]

Same. I've even squatted before and relaxed my abs halfway just to see what it felt like and I literally felt my spine compressing!

[AmongTheApples]

Wow. I'm surprised that you didn't drop the weight. That had to be tough.

[Anon-ee-mous]

See, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I've usually had enough weight to give some resistance, but worked until it hurt, worked beyond that until almost failure (or all the way to failure). I just wasn't sure if other people used more weight/less reps, or if high volume worked better.

But yeah regardless, I work until it burns and then start counting down

[FastTrackHeart]

I know thankfully it was a lighter day. But as a team the girls and guys practice together so there's always guys around to help out lol.

[AmongTheApples]

Most people that want to get cut, do light weight and high reps (12-15); and most who want to build strength perform heavy weight and low reps (4-6); and those who want both tend to do something in-between (6-8, but usually 8). I think that they're wrong. I believe that variety is more important. Every month or two, I change my rep scheme and exercises, but, really, I usually change things up more often than that.

[Anon-ee-mous]

@AmongTheApples, say like maybe every 4-6 weeks for you then?

[AmongTheApples]

Although I've changed it sooner than that or waited longer (though never longer than two months), I'd say that's a good average for me. It all depends on the results that I'm obtaining (if I see muscle growth and strength improvements, meaning being able to lift more weight) and how I "feel" about the routine (when I tire of it and no longer really enjoy it). Whatever you do, listen to your body. There's been times that I've done a lot of exercises and then other times when that I've done hardly any. There's nothing wrong with letting your body recover a bit every now and then. People who never do that often end up quitting. The two most important things are variety and consistency (doing something more often than not doing anything).

[Anon-ee-mous]

I'll give the 6 week timeline a shot. Thanks for the insight!

[AmongTheApples]

You're welcome! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[hypnicjerk]

Err, I don't 'do abs.' Personally I don't find a ripped 6 pack aesthetic on a girl so I avoid isolation exercises. I do however squat and deadlift relatively heavy, and this still gives me a strong core and some degree of visible abs. Much of achieving chiseled abs is a matter of body fat/body composition rather than specific training.

[Kkaos]

I always try to use a heavy enough weight so that I can get less than 10 controlled reps out. I focus on making sure it's controlled, because towards the end when you get tired, that's when you might force yourself and you'll lose form and end up damaging something.

[Anon-ee-mous]

Has heavier weights/lower reps worked for you?

[Kkaos]

It's hard to say, because when I started working out properly (regular sessions, good diet).. That's when I also started doing the heavier weights. But the reason I started that is because most research shows that you need to use heavy weights to stress the muscle and make it repair and grow bigger. Doing high reps- low weight will increase the endurance of the muscle, but it won't target muscle growth as much as high weight would.

[CourtJester]

The abs is such a small muscle group that you can work with moderate weight. Volume is key for abs. Doing some compound core workouts like barbell squats/deadlifts can also help.

[Anon-ee-mous]

I squat and deadlift frequently, so the more isolated exercises are mainly what I'm curious about. Leg raises, back extensions, flutter kicks, and working on the various ab/back machines, etc.

[CourtJester]

I think the exercises doesn't matter as long as you put emphasis on tension and negative reps.

[Anon-ee-mous]

So don't start counting until they burn, basically?

[CourtJester]

Yes and you didn't even have work it out for too long because it's a small muscle group so a couple of tension filled reps does the trick.

[Anon-ee-mous]

Gotcha. Thanks mate ;)

[Kythe]

If you're trying to build muscle, heavier weight (between 12-16 rep weight) is typically a good target weight.

[Anon-ee-mous]

Yeah, trying to build the muscle up to have the most to work with while working on cutting body fat down. Has that range of reps worked well for you?

[Kythe]

Yes - and although I'd have to dig up the source, it's also the range most studies have found optimal for building lean body mass.