Comments on: Five Exercises For Strong Abs And Lower Back http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/ No Diets, No Cardio, No Excuses Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tone Lower Abs Workout http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-8023 Tone Lower Abs Workout Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:12:43 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-8023 [...] Five Exercises For Strong Abs And Lower Back | Fitness Spotlight [...] [...] Five Exercises For Strong Abs And Lower Back | Fitness Spotlight [...]

]]> By: The Best Of The IF Life and Modern Forager From 2008 | Life Spotlight - No BS Fitness, Health and Living http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1922 The Best Of The IF Life and Modern Forager From 2008 | Life Spotlight - No BS Fitness, Health and Living Tue, 05 May 2009 20:17:59 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1922 [...] Five Exercises For Strong Abs And Lower Back [...] [...] Five Exercises For Strong Abs And Lower Back [...]

]]> By: 090307 WOD « Santa Rosa FD’s Crossfit blog http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1583 090307 WOD « Santa Rosa FD’s Crossfit blog Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:18:00 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1583 [...] I discussed the role of the abdominals and lower back in maintaining health and athleticism. Today, I want to look at the role of the hips in [...] [...] I discussed the role of the abdominals and lower back in maintaining health and athleticism. Today, I want to look at the role of the hips in [...]

]]> By: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 « CrossFit Rx http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1265 Tuesday, October 28, 2008 « CrossFit Rx Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:42:42 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1265 [...] throughout life as a reason to keep your abdominals and lower back adequately strong.” [read entire article here] Published [...] [...] throughout life as a reason to keep your abdominals and lower back adequately strong.” [read entire article here] Published [...]

]]> By: Developing Hip Function: A Hallmark of Athleticism | Modern Forager http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1264 Developing Hip Function: A Hallmark of Athleticism | Modern Forager Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:02:08 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1264 [...] Hips In Action Previously, I discussed the role of the abdominals and lower back in maintaining health and athleticism. Today, I want to look at the role of the hips in [...] [...] Hips In Action Previously, I discussed the role of the abdominals and lower back in maintaining health and athleticism. Today, I want to look at the role of the hips in [...]

]]> By: Helder http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1263 Helder Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:18:53 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1263 I just found out about your blog, and it's a very good one. I Love the overhead squats and planks, it's too bad that almost no one does these exercises, in the gym where i workout, i believe almost no one even knows those exercises exist. About deadlifts i only like the "romanian", but that's a personal choice for aesthetic reasons, mainly because it overdevelops my traps, and with that said i know it's a worthy exercise, but it just don't fit my personal goals. Keep up you've got an excellent blog here I just found out about your blog, and it’s a very good one. I Love the overhead squats and planks, it’s too bad that almost no one does these exercises, in the gym where i workout, i believe almost no one even knows those exercises exist.

About deadlifts i only like the “romanian”, but that’s a personal choice for aesthetic reasons, mainly because it overdevelops my traps, and with that said i know it’s a worthy exercise, but it just don’t fit my personal goals.

Keep up you’ve got an excellent blog here

]]> By: Dan http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1262 Dan Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:07:17 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1262 Scott, I did not have specific requirements other than general strength and stamina so I used Russian-style swings and one-arm snatches as the base (currently have a knee injury). If I had time to do nothing else then this would give me a good basic workout. On top of this I mixed in clean and jerks, Turkish get ups and presses etc. This worked very well for me as a workout that I could do in my spare room with no equipment other than the kettlebell. I saw significant increases in strength and also (surprisingly) muscle mass over the course of the first 18 months. Dan Scott, I did not have specific requirements other than general strength and stamina so I used Russian-style swings and one-arm snatches as the base (currently have a knee injury). If I had time to do nothing else then this would give me a good basic workout. On top of this I mixed in clean and jerks, Turkish get ups and presses etc. This worked very well for me as a workout that I could do in my spare room with no equipment other than the kettlebell. I saw significant increases in strength and also (surprisingly) muscle mass over the course of the first 18 months.

Dan

]]> By: Rory http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1261 Rory Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:45:52 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1261 After reading about the "300" workout, I've recently fallen in love with floor wipers. They are a huge pain to set up for at my gym—I have to fetch bar, weights, clamps, and a makeshift rack of "step aerobics" height adjusters (hollow plastic squares) from various parts of the gym to a place where I have room for the movement—but they are worth it. Here's a demo, for those unfamiliar with them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNGCG2L0OA Note that 1 rep comprises a kick of the right plate and a kick of the left plate. Also, make sure you actually touch the weight on each kick. As the bar moves off balance your stabilizers are forced to kick in. 3x10 and your whole midsection will be on fire for days. After reading about the “300″ workout, I’ve recently fallen in love with floor wipers.

They are a huge pain to set up for at my gym—I have to fetch bar, weights, clamps, and a makeshift rack of “step aerobics” height adjusters (hollow plastic squares) from various parts of the gym to a place where I have room for the movement—but they are worth it.

Here’s a demo, for those unfamiliar with them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNGCG2L0OA

Note that 1 rep comprises a kick of the right plate and a kick of the left plate. Also, make sure you actually touch the weight on each kick. As the bar moves off balance your stabilizers are forced to kick in. 3×10 and your whole midsection will be on fire for days.

]]> By: Erin Davidson http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1260 Erin Davidson Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:16:47 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1260 Great post, Scott. I injured my back pretty badly going for 5x5 DL about a month back. Since then I've been trying to rehab by pretty much correcting the way my body supports itself - aka a lot of abdominal stability work and very intentional bracing during all movements. Everything feels VERY different. There are a lot of good links in this post that I'll be checking out. Thanks! Have you heard of Stuart McGill's Back Performance book? Great post, Scott. I injured my back pretty badly going for 5×5 DL about a month back. Since then I’ve been trying to rehab by pretty much correcting the way my body supports itself – aka a lot of abdominal stability work and very intentional bracing during all movements. Everything feels VERY different. There are a lot of good links in this post that I’ll be checking out. Thanks!

Have you heard of Stuart McGill’s Back Performance book?

]]> By: Scott Kustes http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/07/08/five-exercises-for-strong-abs-and-lower-back/comment-page-1/#comment-1259 Scott Kustes Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:53:02 +0000 http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/?p=970#comment-1259 Tim, a GHR can be used just fine, though I like the loading abilities of the reverse hyper. We have both at The Chaos Compound, so I use both. A GHR can be used for back extensions, which mostly approximates the reverse hyper. Other subs are good mornings. The actual Glute-Ham Raise is incredibly hard and beyond the reach of most of the general population, at least initially as it requires pulling up the entire torso weight with the glutes/hams, whereas the Reverse Hyper can be loaded very lightly. Dan, which exercises with a kettlebell? A kettlebell is an implement, not an exercise. :) Stephan, I found CrossFit about 5 years ago, give or take. To that time, I'd been doing the same kind of exercises you were...3x10, focusing on the extremities mainly...a bodybuilder workout. Once I started squatting, deadlifting, and cleaning, it was unreal. I learned much like you have that the most important thing isn't the muscles, it's the movements. The body has to learn to move properly and everything else will fall into place. The typical program is focused on the pretty muscles on the front of the body, leading to imbalances and joint pain (like your shoulders) and an unbalanced hunchback look that so many walk around with instead of a tall, proud, shoulders back athletic look. Joey Powell (owns the affiliate where I workout) and I have discussed this a bit based on his reading of Mel Siff's book that I'm about to get ahold of and read. The 8-12 rep range leads to mostly sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, an increase in the sarcoplasm inside the muscles with no increase in contractile strength. It's in the low-rep, high-weight range where we get the myofibrillar hypertrophy that causes an increase in pure strength. Basically, that is the difference in big, puffy, mostly useless bodybuilder muscles and lean, dense, "stronger than he looks" muscles. Varangy, that's a good exercise. Another one I like is to launch the ball overhead backwards. Basically stand with my back to the target and bring the ball from between the legs to overhead, like a kettlebell swing, releasing at the top for distance. Becca, sure thing. Thank you for that fine demonstration! And nice work on the 120#s. I think that's more than I can do (65#s is the most I've attempted in the last year since shoulder surgery...time to start pushing it back up). Cheers Scott Tim, a GHR can be used just fine, though I like the loading abilities of the reverse hyper. We have both at The Chaos Compound, so I use both. A GHR can be used for back extensions, which mostly approximates the reverse hyper. Other subs are good mornings. The actual Glute-Ham Raise is incredibly hard and beyond the reach of most of the general population, at least initially as it requires pulling up the entire torso weight with the glutes/hams, whereas the Reverse Hyper can be loaded very lightly.

Dan, which exercises with a kettlebell? A kettlebell is an implement, not an exercise. :)

Stephan, I found CrossFit about 5 years ago, give or take. To that time, I’d been doing the same kind of exercises you were…3×10, focusing on the extremities mainly…a bodybuilder workout. Once I started squatting, deadlifting, and cleaning, it was unreal. I learned much like you have that the most important thing isn’t the muscles, it’s the movements. The body has to learn to move properly and everything else will fall into place. The typical program is focused on the pretty muscles on the front of the body, leading to imbalances and joint pain (like your shoulders) and an unbalanced hunchback look that so many walk around with instead of a tall, proud, shoulders back athletic look.

Joey Powell (owns the affiliate where I workout) and I have discussed this a bit based on his reading of Mel Siff’s book that I’m about to get ahold of and read. The 8-12 rep range leads to mostly sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, an increase in the sarcoplasm inside the muscles with no increase in contractile strength. It’s in the low-rep, high-weight range where we get the myofibrillar hypertrophy that causes an increase in pure strength. Basically, that is the difference in big, puffy, mostly useless bodybuilder muscles and lean, dense, “stronger than he looks” muscles.

Varangy, that’s a good exercise. Another one I like is to launch the ball overhead backwards. Basically stand with my back to the target and bring the ball from between the legs to overhead, like a kettlebell swing, releasing at the top for distance.

Becca, sure thing. Thank you for that fine demonstration! And nice work on the 120#s. I think that’s more than I can do (65#s is the most I’ve attempted in the last year since shoulder surgery…time to start pushing it back up).

Cheers
Scott

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