ab exercises

maradona10

what are the best ab exercises for sports

MagicMarker

What sports?

Can't go wrong with crunches.

Colm_OReilly

For sports, you need midline stabilisation - put simply this is the muscles in the core's ability to keep your spine in line properly and to allow power generated by the hips to be transferred to the load. (okay, not put very simply, but succinctly i hope!)

Any exercise that requires you to hold something heavy overhead will work on core stabilisation. Overhead Squats are prime example.

However, squats and deadlifts require midline stabilisation, as do overhead presses. One of the rarely totted benefits of push ups is the midline stabilisation. Doing actual, good standard push ups, or keeping your body in a push up position for any length of time will work the core muscles.

L-Holds are another exercise which will burn the hell out of your core.

Colm

maradona10

thanks for the replies. im playing gaa so im interested in exercises that help performance rather than cosmetic exercises. i use the plank(L holds) and russian twists at the moment.

ive tried the overhead squat but find it very hard to stop my knees going over my toes while holding just the bar overhead.

i can back squat with 260lb for 1 rep max so i need some help with getting the overhead technique correct.

can you help with this?

Hanley

Roll Out!

Colm_OReilly

There's nothing wrong with your knees going over your toes, provided the weight is staying over your centre of gravity.

Are you dropping below parallel in your back squat? Are you keeping your feet at roughly 30 degrees? Is the weight staying over the centre of your foot?