Comments on: Ab Work? Lift and Lift Heavy. http://eugenization.com/ab-work-lift-and-lift-heavy/ A Personal Training Blog. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:16:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: etfwellness http://eugenization.com/ab-work-lift-and-lift-heavy/#comment-169 etfwellness Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:40:28 +0000 http://eugenization.com/wordpress/?p=265#comment-169 Normally I summarize all of the study findings, but I admit I was too lazy to retype all of the results. What the researchers actually found was that EMG activity for the external obliques (EO) and lower abdominals (LA) was poor in all cases, even when using specific instability exercises - in other words, nothing could get noticeable EMG activity; not squats, not deads, not supermans, not sidebridges (and if you can't get EO activation using a sidebridge, then cest la vie). So while they didn't find "whole trunk activation" per se, they extrapolated that since the squat and deadlift generated more EMG activity than the trunk exercises and that the trunk exercises caused no appreciable EMG activity in the EO and LA, that squats and deads at 80%1RM would work the trunk just fine (and this is reflected in their Conclusion and Practical Applications sections). Good reading, Dr. Warden. Normally I summarize all of the study findings, but I admit I was too lazy to retype all of the results. What the researchers actually found was that EMG activity for the external obliques (EO) and lower abdominals (LA) was poor in all cases, even when using specific instability exercises - in other words, nothing could get noticeable EMG activity; not squats, not deads, not supermans, not sidebridges (and if you can’t get EO activation using a sidebridge, then cest la vie).

So while they didn’t find “whole trunk activation” per se, they extrapolated that since the squat and deadlift generated more EMG activity than the trunk exercises and that the trunk exercises caused no appreciable EMG activity in the EO and LA, that squats and deads at 80%1RM would work the trunk just fine (and this is reflected in their Conclusion and Practical Applications sections).

Good reading, Dr. Warden.

]]> By: Christopher http://eugenization.com/ab-work-lift-and-lift-heavy/#comment-168 Christopher Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:49:34 +0000 http://eugenization.com/wordpress/?p=265#comment-168 Admittedly, I haven't looked directly at this study yet, but I found it curious that the authors concluded that "lifting heavy" via lifts like the squat and deadlift adequately strengthened the core. . . and yet their results (per your quote) only indicated that the squats and deadlifts "provided greater DORSAL TRUNK activation." I'd agree that heavy lifts will sufficiently activate and strengthen the core. But I fail to see how the authors can deduce that heavy training strengthens the ENTIRE core (including the obliques, rectus abdominus, and TVA) when the "significant" core activation was predominantly found in the dorsal trunk musculature. Admittedly, I haven’t looked directly at this study yet, but I found it curious that the authors concluded that “lifting heavy” via lifts like the squat and deadlift adequately strengthened the core. . . and yet their results (per your quote) only indicated that the squats and deadlifts “provided greater DORSAL TRUNK activation.”

I’d agree that heavy lifts will sufficiently activate and strengthen the core. But I fail to see how the authors can deduce that heavy training strengthens the ENTIRE core (including the obliques, rectus abdominus, and TVA) when the “significant” core activation was predominantly found in the dorsal trunk musculature.

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