THe following is CF from T-mag (thanks for getting me thinking Don!):
I know that new studies have shown a high percentage of white fiber in abdominal muscles, however these studies have primarily involved bodybuilders. That often means steroid users. In nature, white or “power” fibers are found primarily where needed — that means the drive muscles, i.e., quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, erector spinae etc.
Red fiber predominates in support structures where endurance is paramount and the power requirements are lower. Steroids can covert transitional fiber toward Type-II fast-twitch fiber universally, both where it’s desirable, like in the drive muscles and where it’s not, like in the support structures. In other words, these studies are misleading.
You have to think about the role of the muscle in the particular activity. The role of the abdominals is as a support structure where power is less important and endurance is much more important. Additionally, the overall drain on the limited supply of energy the body has to deal with is better served in this way.
Red muscle fiber is much more energy efficient. Now, I don’t presume to speak for bodybuilders since appearance is all that matters in that arena. But in sport, you’d be better served to reconvert those fibers toward a natural state rather than trying to train them as white fiber. What are we talking about here? High reps! These reps can be done daily as well, because when you do low intensity work you don’t have the 48 hour limitation that you would have on high intensity work.
My athletes don’t do hundreds of repetitions, they do thousands! We try to hit all of the muscles. This brings up another issue. In high performance sport the hip rotates toward the center line, meaning that there are rotational forces involved in the support structures as well. This requires all of the muscles in the abdominal complex to work.
Now, if you were doing high power (low-rep) work with the abdominals, then you could only work them straight ahead, as you would in conventional crunch-type movements or some variation thereof. This means that a large number of the muscles (obliques) would only be exercised through the crossover effect, meaning they wouldn’t be worked directly. They’d only receive some indirect benefits from the work of the muscles in the front.
If, however, you try to use power to develop these other muscles involved in rotational support you’d surely be injured.
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I wish to contend high volume ab programs.
I feel stronger abdominals attained from lower reps under resistance, increase (potential) inter-abdominal pressure and hence increase the rigidity of the torso. This translates into better force transmission and faster sprinting. If a sprint race lasts 10s who cares that the abs can maintain (low!) tension for another 10 minutes.
Also, any hip flexion during ‘core’ training activates the rectus femoris and could potentially shift this muscle’s type IIa fibres in the wrong direction. Since RF also extends the knee this is plainly detrimental to sprint/jump/lifting performance.
Thoughts anyone?