The following video was posted on CrossFit.com a few weeks back... it's footage from a seminar of Coach Glassman (CrossFit's founder) talking about abdominal training. In the traditional sense of exercise and fitness, abs are a muscle group that need to be isolated and trained daily - like pecs and biceps. However, In CrossFit, we train the abs to perform their most important job in functional movement - mid-line stabilization. Abs should be highly active in almost every movement we do - some are more ab-centric than others, and just because we don't do abs in a workout, doesn't mean you have to finish by doing a set of sit ups. At the same time if your abs are weak, they will prevent you from maintaining stabilization in almost everything we do... so practicing some form of ab movement daily is a good idea.
What are your "favorites?"
Today's Workout
5 rounds for time of:
15 Hang Power Snatch
500m Row
What would be a good substitute for rowing when you do not have a row machine available?
Posted by jack sprat on 04/29 at 07:11 AM
Now that I've graduated to full pushups as opposed to knee pushups, it's amazing to me how much the abs are involved in that movement, though maybe my abs are more involved than most people's because my arms and shoulders need all the help they can get.
No stabilizing movement has ever worked my abs as much as GH situps, though. I _love_ those.
Posted by Erica on 04/29 at 07:46 AM
Sex?
Did I just say that out loud?
Posted by janine on 04/29 at 09:46 AM
Jack - you can substitute a 500m row with a 400m run, or vice versa as equipment dictates.
Erica - agrees, pushups are like the stealth core exercise!
Posted by Becca on 04/29 at 09:46 AM
The overhead-squat and L-pull up combo! At the time not too bad, the next day it feels like someone pounded on you stomach with a sledgehammer for an hour...