Topic: Ab and Core Exercises

[Paul LaDuke]

Pete,

I think this is a very common problem that quite often boils down to mid-spine (thoracic) weakness, a lack of proper form or a lack of focus.  My opinion is the thoracic spine will be the weakest link in most lifter's bodies.  I also think that focusing on improved positioning can eliminate most of this problem.

Biomecanically, if the shoulders droop the elbows will drop and the weight shifts forward over the hips and the body's center of gravity is moved forward usually resulting in dropping the weight.  The key is to position yourself so that your shoulders won't round forward.  It will take focus as you recieve the bar in the catch position to stay tight.  I focus on driving my elbows fast under the bar and end with them at shoulder height. I also try to focus on keeping them from dipping towards the ground just after I catch it.  I also look slightly up.  Looking up and keeping the elbows high helps me to keep the important arch in my back.  If you catch it low and allow the bar to get forward, you will have to fight with all you got to keep the lift.  This always takes alot out of you.  Focus on this postitioning during your front squats should really strengthen you were you need it.

Good luck and keep training hard.

[Jack Dluzen]

i think a moderate amout is needed ,  , i favor hyper extensions , they seem to help  keep the back arched in pulling , also i like the evil wheel for  abs i givs a good steach on the full ab cavity ... just a old mans thoughts !  :

[Aaron Webster]

My weightlifitng coach, told me and some others not to do sit-ups and instead to crunches and such, as sit-ups don't work the lower abs as much and the lower abs are more important for weightlifting.

[Andy Dick]

I used to always do ab work and recently started moving only to doing ab work that I can used weights with.  However, I read in the newest USAW magazine they send out every once in a while about things you can do to strengthen the core.  They pretty much said that what we think of ab exercises are great for preparing the abs and making them stronger to strengthen for the lifts.  But they then talked about how that helps to a point that more specific work is needed to benefit weightlifting.  Many of the things they mentioned were pretty much exercises weightlifters do in a normal workout.  Such as pulls, snatch balance, overhead squats, jerks, combo lifts like front squat + jerks.  This makes me think that conventional ab work is only good for so far then most of the gains you get are form maintaining proper position in the lifts.  You really cant do extra work in these areas without taxing the same muscles you would with the olympic lifts.  Someone once told me that the Bulgarians don't do ab work, I dont know if it is true or not but it got me thinking.  What if instead of doing 5-10 minutes of abs at the end of a workout for a weightlifter, that you take that time and do an extra set or two of overhead squats or snatch balance or something of the nature that the USAW magazine listed?  For me it seems that unless I want a burn the only exercises that tax my abs with the loads I want for weightlifting are those movements.  The only other thing I lean towards are like weighted elbow bridges on the ground or off the edge of a bench or like plate sit-ups so I get a little extra shoulder work in as well.