Time to Load Up Your Ab Training

Are you worried that weighted ab exercises will thicken your midsection? Don’t. Abdominal muscles won't grow like larger muscles, such as the back or quadriceps. That's because abs are predominately a Type I muscle fiber, which have less capacity for muscle growth.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't apply the overload principle to your ab training.

The overload principle basically means your body will adapt to the stresses placed upon it; the more you do, the more you become capable of doing. And it applies to your abs the same way it applies to your hamstrings and your biceps.

"If you want visible abs you must have both a low body fat level and thick abdominal muscles. When your abs are thick, especially the rectus abdominis or 'six pack,' they stand out more because the contrast between the muscle bellies (the actual 'packs') and the linea alba is more pronounced," Christian Thibaudeau explains in Abdominal Training for People Who Hate Training Abs. "To get strong and thick abs, you must use loaded abdominal work."

If you're looking for an effective loaded exercise for your ab training, coach Charles Poliquin suggests accentuated crunches on the bench in December's Question of Strength on T-Nation.

Here's how to do accentuated crunches on the bench:

1. Set up a 35-degree incline bench facing away from a cable machine. Attach a rope extension to the cable and set the pulley about halfway between the highest and lowest positions. Then select the weight you want to use on the stack.

2. Sit on the bench with your back to the cable and grab the ends of the rope with your hands on your shoulders. Roll your shoulders forward just enough to feel the resistance.

3. Sit up until your torso is just past 90 degrees relative to your upper legs while maintaining a natural arch in your lower back. Make sure you don't round your back.

4. From this top position, extend your arms above your head and slightly forward.

5. With your arms fully extended and your elbows slightly bent, slowly lower your upper body back to the bottom position. Then bring your hands back down to the front of your shoulders.

"It'll expose your rectus abdominis to a different type of stimulus, with the right amount of eccentric loading," Poliquin promises. "You'll feel this one the next day!"

For more ab training tips, check out Overload Your Abs, Why 6-Pack Abs Don't Come in 6 Steps, Best Medicine for Six Pack Abs, and Do Your Core a Favor and Ditch the Crunches.

Why does this matter to you? Because the overload principle applies to your abs as well. And don't worry about weighted ab exercises thickening your waist. If you want great ab definition, you have to grow and strengthen the muscle like you would any other muscle. When performing loaded ab exercises, aim for 10-12 reps.

Remember the equation: Strong abs + low body fat = six pack abs!