Ultimate Abs: The Definitive Guide to Developing a Chiseled Six-Pack

Not the same old run of the mill info. The exercises are creative, the information is well laid-out, highly recommend!!

Ab training, a very debated subject indeed! Does this book set the record straight?Essentially, this book is about ab aesthetics- which is the viewpoint from which I'm appraising it- but training the core is taken into consideration too.Sapstead suggests that one must train the abs for hypertrophy to bring out their definition. I only partially agree. If they're not showing up, growing them can obviously make them more apparent(as can tweaking your diet, usually). But you have to be careful not to make them too big, especially the obliques! The author- who, overall, is a well built guy- has a protruding set(click on photo). Despite assuring us that our waists won't get larger with this style of training, his body tells a different story!Overdeveloped abs can wreak havoc on your physique, taking away from a great chest and upper body. And protruding obliques will unquestionably ruin your v-taper! While it may be true that the abs are like any other muscle physiologically, for these reasons, you should consider whether or not you want them to be developed(hypertrophied)to the max*. This is definitely a situation where the science and art of bodybuilding can be at odds.Some coaches, like Eric Helms(in his Muscle and Strength Pyramid), don't even think direct ab training is necessary as they are worked sufficiently with a variety of compound, free weight exercises(Likely the best way to develop core stability**). Once again, I partially agree. A good degree of abdominal development can occur through a well balanced routine with compound exercises. However, the muscles of the midsection are only worked as stabilizers. For aesthetics, I feel better development will occur by adding exercises that directly target the abs over their range of motion. Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses this in his encyclopedia, referring to that as "quality training" to "bring out the full shape and seperation of the abdominals". And he's backed up by Jim Stoppani, PhD, who has also pointed out that the abs need to be shortened(fully contracted)to develop them best.Based on the foregoing information, I think old school bodybuilders had it right, doing compound exercises under heavy loads(increasing core stability and strength) while including some high repetition abdominal work(increasing endurance). They had fantastic abs! So do those things, watch your diet, include some cardio and increase your activity level outside of structured exercise. I think you'll be pleased with the results!The most important thing, as Tom Venuto is fond of saying, is to let your results dictate your approach. If you have everything dialed in(your nutrition, cardio, etc) and your abs still aren't as evident as you'd like, perhaps some lower rep, hypertrophy training would be the way to go. Ultimately, you(and your coach, if you have one) have to set your course. In doing so, remember that science is great, but don't forget the art! Bodybuilding is a hybrid of the two.Cheers.*Some authorities have also noted that increasing core endurance, over core strength, is more beneficial for low back health. So, generally, the way to go is with higher reps.**According to the 2nd edition of Advanced Personal Training: Science to Practice. These movements should be prioritized more than core isolation exercises, such as planks(which can still be included, of course).