How to get abs for dummies

Nevermind that, over the decades, bodybuilders have gotten into contest shape with (often endless amounts of) cardio, runners, cyclists and swimmers are extremely lean, etc. Somehow, aerobic training has gotten a bad rap.

it just helps create a larger deficit. that's all.

It's a good article on cardio. Lyle also recommends cardio in his book "The Stubborn Fat Solution" to burn off stores of stubborn fat.

Perhaps there is a study floating around where a few groups of people both create the same calorie deficits, but one group does it with cardio (HIIT and steady state group), another with weight training, and the last does it with food restriction. Then measure the bf percentage with DEXA. I don't know how much fat is burned with food restriction compared to burning it off with cardio.

Cardio isn't necessary for everyone, I haven't done any at all over the last year+. Compound lifts are always good but don't neglect direct ab training if you aren't getting the results from the other lifts alone. Train them like any other muscle. Diet is the most important factor by far. if you have a layer of fat covering them, it doesn't matter if you have the best abs in the world

Did heavy compounds for months with direct ab work, one day did ab roller with reverse crunches thinking it would be easy. Barely able to do a few reps, and abs so sore the next few days couldn't get up from lying down.

In theory, would you even need compounds lifts to get abs, why not just do direct ab work to preserve and build the ab muscles? Eat enough protein to preserve the ab muscles, and don't go overboard on your calorie deficit so you don't destroy the ab muscles like people with eating disorders who have very low bf percentages, but also destroyed their muscles.

Because the compound lifts are going to preserve the lean mass of all your body which means higher metabolism. I do zero direct ab work and almost no cardio, yet I have abs. The compounds require greater core stabilization than abdominal isolation. Your core is also responsible for power transfer. People think a strong core means strong abs, but your core is your back, diaphragm, pelvic floor and many other muscles.

By training abdominal muscles alone (no compound lifts) you are missing out on the major function of the core. Compound exercises that resist spinal extension (such as the overhead press, chin-ups, pushups, etc.) lead to large amounts of core development because the abs must be engaged throughout the lift in order to stabilize the spine and effectively transmit force. You also can't load abdominal isolation exercises like you can compound lifts.

So, if your goal was to JUST to have ab muscles by all means you go ahead and just work abs, but if you want great overall body composition to go along with visible abs make sure you include compound movements.

For me - heavy lifting. Specifically SL 5x5.