Haven’t read a better article on the topic:
I strongly disagree…a warning to “movement monkeys” make sure you know everything about and exercise. Doing a side bridge with a MLB pitcher after a game is trouble…
I’d feel better if that guy was a bit more, well, athletic looking.
Shaf
Mistake #2 — Too Many Reps
Another mistake many novice weight trainers make is performing too many repetitions for the abs. In his book The Poliquin Principles, Charles Poliquin states that the abs are actually fast-twitch muscles. Therefore, these 50 and 100 rep sets of crunches aren’t doing a whole lot for our core development. Stick to heavy, low rep sets (under 15 repetitions) and watch your core strength and development improve like never before!
… and watch your form fall to pieces in your sprint workouts.
Anyone who quotes from The Poliquin Principles can’t be taken seriously… the article did start well though but it fell down a man trap and couldn’t climb out after that paragraph.
heavy overhead work builds the core like nothing IMO 
Yeah, but on more explosive, strenuous exercises, like Med. Ball work, don’t you need to keep the reps low for best form and thus, maximal gains? I know basic exercises like crunches and situps can be done in heavy sets (50+ reps, etc.), but I think harder exercises should be kept in lower rep ranges, right? When I say low, I say under 25 reps. I hardly do anything under that.
CoolColJ - I love overhead situps. I know what ya mean.
Depends what sort of medball, how heavy etc.
When we use the 5kg ball its for sets of 6 reps, but that’s not a core specific workout, the core just gets worked hard along with everything else, just like deadlifts, cleans, squats etc. I don’t think there’s any real point in doing direct intense low rep work for the core. Spending training “dollars” that could be used elsewhere.
Throwing the lighter medball for ab work would be high rep though. If you were doing 25 reps, then it would be multiple sets with a very short break between sets.
What are the volumes and intensities that stay below the CNS drain for core work? Then does this apply for GPP because more accleration work and less velocity work is done?
I wish you wouldn’t be so terse. If you’re going to disagree, then why don’t you make a specific suggestion about good general core execises. You don’t have to be hyper-specific, but there must be some general guidelines.
Why not do heavy core work?
heavy core work is good if your plannign on squatting and deadlifting heavy, infact essential
I agree with CoolcolJ. OH squats are the best for the core
So you’re just one day going to start squatting and deadlifting heavy??? Wouldn’t you start light and progress ergo your core will develop in parallel with everything else.
of course you start light but you wont lift heavy if you have a weak point like abs.
a common example is the dead lift and grip. Most people have weak grips. Do you a) train grip to bring it up or b) lift lighter until the grip is striong enough to go up in weight
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Why would your core be comparitively weaker than any other body part? The only reason I can think of is because of prior incorrect technique or simply trying to lift too heavy too soon.
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If your grip is weak use the alternate grip.
I think you two disagree because your looking at the problem from two different points of view - the powerlifter versus the athlete.
i think so too
i just think that when traing, some stuff needs to be specific. If it wasnt the case then most people would just do squats, dips and pull ups
I thought this was explained by the big brains on the forum last year or so? The heavy core training exists through heavy training such as weight room work and track/sports training. Sure you can do tornado ball training but a sledgehammer session during season will spell LOSER if done. What is heavy training for core Dell Dell?
The contribution of excessive outer abdominal wall work to Gilmore groin injury and the opposing balancing exercises should also be researched by those who play soccer as a prehabiliative measure.
I think soccer games played by non-soccer athletes have caused many, many more injuries than it has prehabbed. E.g. skiers, luge athletes,… I have seen it again and again… :mad: 
I dont do any swiss ball stuff, just med ball throws of different variety and now those guys are telling me I am missing out on something by not training the inner ab muscles??? :eek:
true or false?
What? I’m not sure what you’re getting at. By heavy training for the core I meant like weighted incline situps/russian twists, weighted side bends, weighted hanging leg raises.
Are you saying in-season, athletes should not do weighted core work, not do sledgehammer type of exercises either? If that’s the case, then what should be done in season.
AND also what should be done in the off-season (which I am in right now)?
I thought doing some saxon bends, weighted incline crunches, and hanging leg raises would be safe, but now I’m confused. What’s the point of high rep stuff? Is high-rep stuff better for in-season.
I wish you’d answer these questions, but I already know what’s going to happen, so will SOMEONE clarify this…