Barbell How strong Abs help my deadlift?? (mechanically)

[Hwan]

I know that strong abs would help me deadlift more weight, because i heard and read many elite lifters saying that, but i don't truly understand how that is. Aren't the Abs spinal flexors while deadlift is all about extension?? I heard that training antagonistic muscles helps but don't know how. Could you guys explain how??

And if my goal is to improve overall strength for athletic performance(mainly combative sport) and spinal health, which ab works would you guys recommend??
Hanging leg raises? Full contact twists? Ab rollouts? weighted decline sit ups?
I know all of them are good but could you please pick ur favorites(if you were me) and tell me the reason??

 

[footballer55]

Hwan,
It's not so much as your middle abs that help your deadlift, but your obliques (side ab muscles). Core strength is very important during deadlifts, and your obliques are a huge core muscle.

As for ab exercises, I wouldn't focus directly on abs (unless that IS your focus). Abs are included in most standing excercises, including deadlift. However if you still want to throw in a few excercises, go with a cross body cable/medicine ball/dumbell chop. Hold the object (you can use any of those three, and probably even kettle bell although I haven't tested it with one) above your right head and pull it down to your left side and vice-versa. Also if you're working on combative performance, have a partner throw a medicine ball at your stomach as you sit up, wait til it bounces off you, and then catch it and throw it back.
Goodluck,
Mike.

 

[Steve Freides]

1. Read Hard Style Abs.

2. Practice. The book will answer your questions.

3. @Michael morrissey, everything I have read suggests it is the TVA muscle, not the obliques, that are important in the deadlift. Everyone should do ab work - many should always include it, some folks don't need it all the time but should still cycle it in and out of their program.

-S-

 

[RobbieF]

Hwan, I think what you were referring to was the rectus abdominis - they are indeed spinal flexors. For a deadlift, the goal is to create a stiff and rigid spine so the back does not fall into any comprised positions. Spinal stability and stiffness are not created by a single muscle - it is the co-contraction of multiple different muscles that create stiffness: the diaphragm, pelvic floor, transversus abdominus, rectus abdominus, multifidus, obliques to name just a few. What exercises help to achieve spinal stiffness? Any exercise with where you have to resist flexion and extension of the spine. These could be exercises like deadbugs, hardstyle planks, ab wheel rollouts, palof presses, half kneeling work, side planks. Other exercises that are "forgotten" core exercises are renegade rows, any kind of carry, double kb front squats, get ups and windmills. An other key component to core work is breathing to create pressure in your abdomen which helps create spinal stability, watch this video of mike robertson explaining it here:




I probably explained that badly so here is a two part article written on the FMS website which is one of the most comprehensive core training articles I've ever read, part 2 is probably more of what you're looking for:
Core Composition and Function: The Core of 2014 Part 1
Training the Core: The Core of 2014 Part 2