
If you’re wondering what the role of isolation exercises play in a powerlifting training program, check out my article on Do Powerlifters Do Isolation Exercises? If you ignore direct ab work, then you will fail to activate these additional core muscles that have a large role in how our bodies move. These muscles contribute to a greater amount of ‘bending’, ‘twisting’, and ‘flexing’ activities of the spine, torso, and pelvis. We also need to focus on other core muscle groups, such as the: This is an important function when it comes to heavy powerlifting however, these are not the only core muscles that need to be strong to lift effectively. They have a role in various ‘bending’ activities where your torso moves either more or less horizontal to the floor. These are the deep core muscles that are located in your back and surround your spine.

Squatting and deadlifting has been shown to target the following core muscles very effectively:

However, to say that only squatting and deadlifting is required to get a strong core is a bit extreme. As such, your abs will most certainly adapt and get stronger by doing these exercises. There are some powerlifting coaches who believe that just the act of squatting and deadlifting heavy will be enough ‘core work’ for any powerlifter.ĭon’t get me wrong, there is a lot of stress on your core while squatting and deadlifting. Why Is It Important For Powerlifters To Train Abs? (5 Reasons) In this article, I’ll discuss these exercises in more detail and explain why it’s important for powerlifters to train abs. So, what are the best ab exercises for powerlifters? Here are the top 9 ab exercises every powerlifter should do:Īs the Head Coach for Team Canada Powerlifting, these are the exact exercises that I program for my athletes in order for them to stay healthy and increase their strength on their barbell movements. In the absence of a strong core, powerlifters are more susceptible to injury, have issues with their technique, and fail to transfer force to their muscles effectively. looking ripped), it’s how the abs function when stressed under load. What is important about a strong core is not just the aesthetics of the abs (i.e.

You also want to allow yourself just enough time to recover between sets to maintain a high level of performance: 2 to 5 minutes for strength and power, 30 to 90 seconds for hypertrophy, and just 30 seconds for endurance.Strength athletes like powerlifters require an incredibly strong core to squat and deadlift heavy. In each case, the key is to use the heaviest resistance that will allow you to complete all of your reps and sets with good form. And if your objective is muscular endurance, shoot for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps. For hypertrophy (building muscle), the sweet spot is 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps. If your objective is strength or power (think: heavy lifting), the textbook advice is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 6 reps per exercise. Of the countless ways you can structure your sets, there are three basic schemes that every lifter must know. The more effective strategy (especially once your beginner's gains are behind you) is to tailor your primary set-and-rep scheme to best suit your specific training goal. Regardless of whether you’re trying to build muscle, strength, power, or endurance, performing 3 sets of 10 reps per exercise is a good place to start-or so goes this standard of thinking, which has remained largely unchanged since it was first popularized in the 1940s.Īnd you know what? This scheme mostly works, especially if you’re just starting out with strength training-because everything works in the beginning.
#Muscular endurance exercises for abs how to#
This is Your Quick Training Tip, a chance to learn how to work smarter in just a few moments so you can get right to your workout.īy far the most common wisdom dispensed to newbie lifters is the “3x10” rule.
