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| Take a trip with us down memory lane to the old school of lifting. This is a place where time stands still and the legends of lifting never die. This is Wally Strosnider's place, where he will be posting columns periodically on the history of the iron game in our area. So sit back and enjoy the rich tradition offered each month at Wally's place. |
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| WALLY WORLD AB TRAINING:
In Search of a Six Pack
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I'd like to share some ideas about training the Abs that have helped make the Wally World Powerlifters stand out in a crowd. We have always found that proper attitude toward Ab training is essential.
I remember the first time Bill McDonough walked into my gym. He stood there reading the hand lettered legend on the wall above the bench. "WALLY WORLD - THE NO AB GYM". "Cool, I have found a home" is all he said.
Over the years we've tried Ab routines....they all died off due to lack of local support.
Even now, some poor misguided soul will start flailing away at sit-ups, crunches or some such foolishness. Usually one of my more experienced lifters will take the time to try and help, offering advice like "Abs. You stupid?"
When the world and I were young, long ago we had a different attitude toward training. We worked on Pecs and Delts, Bis and Tris, and we kept our Abs tucked discretely out of sight. This is as it was meant to be. If God had wanted us to show off our stomachs he would not have dressed us in baggy shirts.
In those days if someone had tortured the stomach muscles until they had been whittled down into a few pitiful lumps, that person was known to have "Washboard Abs". Washboard Abs…. now there is a phrase that makes sense to me. I remember washboards from when I was a tiny little powerlifter. Women would scrub their dirty clothes on those hated washboards hoping to get clean clothes. The hours they spent slaving away on their washboards were a boring, tedious, backbreaking endeavor that netted questionable results. The clothes might have gotten cleaner, but what you ended up with was tired sweaty cranky housewives who never wanted to have any thing more to do with washboards. 'Washboard Abs' was the perfect term. As you can see it set the mood for doing your sit-ups.
But now, some misguided anorexic coined the term "Six Pack". There is an example of how words can be misleading and dangerous. What do you think of when someone says "Six Pack"? I asked some people around the gym. Responses I got ran from "Breakfast", "It's a good start", to "Where? Lead me to it?" I can understand wanting a Six Pack of Bud, but why would I want that other Six Pack? What purpose does it serve? Why on earth should we want visible stomach muscles?
I decided to ask one of these fanatics about the "Why". "Hey, what are you doing? You doing Abs? You stupid or what?" is the question I posed. "Chicks, man. Chicks really dig tight Abs" was his answer.
Now I'm not saying they do or they don't. One look at me and you know I'm not the guy to tell you how women react to a tight rippling six pack. What I am questioning is what kind of woman wants a guy with a Six Pack. I'm guessing it's a gal who's not real comfortable around a kitchen. I mean here is someone aware of her culinary shortcomings and she is looking for a man who will be satisfied with a can of tuna (in water), and a stalk of celery.
I'm happy if these two find each other, but this is not my dream gal. My dreamboat is wearing a Budweiser t-shirt, sports an "I love Sara Lee" tattoo, and in her back pocket she carries a map to every 'all you can eat' restaurant in the bi-state area (laminated of course). We're talking shared interests here. And I'm sorry, but that does not include a Six Pack.
Well there you have it. Our basic Ab routine. You'll have to adjust the sets & reps to your own level of fitness. Remember, attitude is everything!
More power to you,
Wally
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