But doing even more workout is more work.

Compliance is a factor too I guess is what I'm sayin'. Cha does a bunch of ab stuff although it may not seem like ab stuff imo.

Can't figure out which to cut so we'll just go 5 today...

Should have cut #1, imo.

Also, what are people's thoughts on doing Ab Ripper from P90X as a supplementary ab exercise? With rollouts as well, of course.

Well, doing them with a straight bar definitely works different muscles, which is good. But stressing the spine is not.

Rollouts are good if you can do them with good form. If you cant do a set of 10 without any sagging, there are a couple progressions that work well imo. Front planks, then ball rollouts. These primarily work the rectus abdominus and dont do much for the obliques. Side planks are a good beginner exercise for the obliques. See that article below for much more info.

good stuff in there^

thoughts on roman chair sit-ups?

I just got a phone call from the Canadian Forces. They want me to come in for my physical fitness test today, even though it was originally scheduled to be at the end of May. Being on this cut, I haven't really been making sure I can keep up with the fitness standards. I mean, 20 pushups is okay, 20 sit-ups is fine, the step test is pretty easy, but it's the grip strength which I have been really worried about that is the issue.

I'm really nervous. Last minute tips? About 1 hour until test time.

Wally,

eat something, including carbs?

Yeah, obv meant working the lower spinal erectors. Which is useful for squatting e.g.

Random whine: gourmet brotein I ordered specifically for RFL arrived today. 1 pack short, and it was the wrong taste. FML. #firstworldproblems

I haven't been taking Creatine very much at all over the last few months. I happen to have some here at work. Would it help to take a scoop of Creatine right now?

come on, is it really fair to the other applicants if you take creatine? do the right thing.

Be sure to tuck in your string.

Yugo, you are an art-teest Coulda cut #1 though.

Wallypop, my 2 cents. Don't be nervous! I'm sure you can pass a grip test if you've been doing SS for any amount of time, which I think you have. Slam dunk, brah!

Dude Wally just eat something and go. You'll be fine. And I'll be shocked if anyone that deadlifts regularly can't pass a baseline grip standard.

LOLOL

CITRULLINE MALLATE!

Definitely helps finger-flexion

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/36/4/282.abstract

Hey no trolling in the...

Yeah this isn't a bad place to start. I dispute that crunches are bad though. MR kind of ignores the fact that if performed on a small swiss ball, crunches are a good way to train the rectus through a safe lumbar ROM, specifically from hyperextension to extension, just stop before flexion occurs.

Also there's not really any advice on overall volume, frequency, time under tension, rest intervals, etc. Not that I think it is key to hone in on any one scheme depending on specific goals, but rather I think it is important to hit all qualities. For most exercises the abs are working isometrically, which has a very different muscle fiber recruitment pattern from eccentric or concentric work. Isometrics require a lot more slow twitch fiber recruitment.

In general I try to do something near max effort, something with short rest intervals, and something static lasting at least a minute every couple of weeks.

So In 2 weeks I might do:
-Weighted rollouts/standing rollouts so I fail in under 10 reps
-10 BW rollouts on the minute every minute for as long as I can
-Planks for time

And then random other crap like side bends, swiss ball stuff, leg raises, or other stuff not worth programming.

Related article, but you probably already read it:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...s_best_for_you

Where is the cutoff though? I mean, isnt it either you think extra ab work is good for you or you think squatting and deadliftin is enough ab work?

Not even once.

If you're a beginning/intermediate lifter you probably have some additional recovery capacity that isn't being used because you're too weak to actually stress yourself to your max. Also I don't think abdominal strength is anywhere close to the limiting factor when you're squatting 185 lbs, so it stands to reason that since you are not calling on all your abdominal strength in squats, you are also not going to see much growth. Probably not the same story when you're squatting 3 times that though.

In actuality I think everyone should probably do direct ab work. I get the impression that many elite strength athletes still do direct ab work. But I didn't really want to tell G4S that he's not doing enough planks because WTF do I know about that realm?

it's hard not to turn into thremp on a different forum when i open a thread titled weightlifting q&a, and see advice like "It's nice to switch things up every week or two and confuse your body".

arrggghh

Release your inner thremp then

i don't think i am asian enough. even though my cousin once thought we were asian because russia is in asia.