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Thrash Your Abs

by Elliott Hulse |   Date Released : 18 Jun 2008

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4 COMMENTS PRINT

If you are interested in having

Author
someone regurgitate the same old “core crap” that you are
used to hearing with a new spin on it, then don’t bother
Keywords reading this article. I am about to expose you to a
revolutionary paradigm that will not only shred your abs to
pieces but will also create the most physically attractive and
functionally sound “rock solid” physique you’ve ever
imagined.

The rst thing on the chopping block is the idea that your
abs are meant to be isolated in exercise. Many of us have
been conditioned to believe that in order to ful ll our
physical potential, we must “pick and choose” what body
parts we are going to work on. This is the same idea that has
pervaded Western medicine and has created a million
“specialists” who continue to know more and more about
less and less. When we begin to realize the “relatedness”

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that everything has to each another, we will experience

transformation in our physiques, our vitality, our energy
levels and our minds. You are an integrated assembly of
systems, and nowhere is this Truth more evident than with
regard to your core.

Today, our bodies are an exact expression of what our

ancestors were over 100,000 years ago. It is believed that it
takes about 100,000 years for 0.001 percent of a genome to
change, so you and Primal Man are essentially the same.
With the generally understood notion that Primal Man was
a hunter and gatherer, it is safe to say that our bodies are
still designed with the primary objective of hunting and
gathering.

Our nervous system is designed in such a way that its most

important function is to protect the vital organs and brain,
so that you can get off your butt and search for sustenance
in the great, dangerous wilderness. Obviously, today we can
just go to the local supermarket, but this was not always the
case. Primal Man and even Agricultural Man had to hunt
and work HARD for his food.

Through evolution, our amazing nervous system has

integrated all of our organs with our muscles. Each of your
organs acts as the “soil” in which all of your external
elements (i.e., arms, legs, abdominals, etc.) have sprung
forth and therefore are linked via the nervous system. The
left arm, for example, is intrinsically linked via the nervous
system to your heart. This explains why someone who is
having a heart attack experiences his left arm go numb. The
inhibitory effect on the muscles due to organ pain or
in ammation is called viscero-somatic inhibition (VSI).

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So what does all of this mean for your clients and their
abby abs? If it is understood that the function of the
muscles are contingent upon the health and function of the
organs and that the primary purpose of having muscles is to
hunt and gather so that we can sustain life, then I’ve just
opened up a huge can of worms for ya!

The strength and function of the muscles, the abdominals in

particular, are severely affected by the health of your
organs. Your deep abdominal wall, or transversus
abdominus, is in the same nervous loop as your colon. So if
your colon is pissed off because you ll your gut with
processed foods like protein shakes, “sports drinks” and
bars, then you can expect your “enormous bellyus” to only
grow bigger, even as you crunch your life away!

So the rst essential prerequisite for completing the

program outlined below is: clean up your insides if you want
your outside to look good!

No ab routine in the world is going to work for you if you

continue to inhibit the muscles of your deep abdominal wall
through a dysfunctional lifestyle and a poor, processed
foods diet.

The exercise program I’ve outlined below is “integrated.” It

takes into account that your abs, being an intrical part of
your “core,” the originator of all movements and the
protector of your organs, works together with every muscle
in your body and in all movement patterns as it has for
thousands of years. Imagine Primal Man needing to use a
Crunch Machine so that his abs would be strong enough to
propel a spear through the ribcage of a stampeding buffalo
for dinner!

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The exercises below are not designed to isolate your

abdominals but to integrate them, which is the way they are
designed to work.

When you have begun to integrate your abdominals into all

of your movements, you will realize a rapid increase in your
core musculature. For example, secondary to my legs, the
sorest part of my body a day after doing heavy deadlifts is
my abs. This is due to my understanding of how this
mechanism works and making a conscious effort to
integrate my core into the bend pattern. You can do this
too, and when you do, your ab training will never be the
same!

Say goodbye to boring post exercise ab routines that serve

to isolate only the abs and say hello to an exciting and
effective full body, core circuit. Build sturdy legs, cannon-
like arms and true strength while thrashing your abs!

Thrash Your Abs Training Circuit

Complete each of these exercises back to back and take a
one to two minute rest upon completion of the circuit.
Repeat two to ve times.

“Ab Thrash” Movement #1 - Reverse Cable Wood

Chops
Exercise

Rest Reps Tempo Sets

Rev. Cable 120 8-12 XOX 2-5

Wood Chops sec. each (explosive)  Circuits

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1. Grab one end of a cable that is positioned low, then

take a wide stance a few feet away from the machine.

2. Keeping your chest up and draw your belly button

drawn in, shift your weight to the inside leg.

3. Staying low, shift your weight to the opposite leg and

rotate the cable on an upward angle to the other same
side.

4. Weight shift back to the original position and repeat.

5. Do it on both sides.

“Ab Thrash” Movement #2 - Single Arm Cable

Push

Exercise Rest Reps Tempo Sets

Single Arm 120 8-12 XOX 2-5

Cable Pull  sec. each side (explosive) Circuits

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1. Grab a shoulder height cable with one hand.

2. Assume a wide stance with your front foot facing

forward and your back foot facing sideways.

3. Draw your belly button in... keep your back straight

and initiate the push.
4. Integrate your arm push with a twist in your waist and
rotating the back foot forward.

5. Return to the starting position and repeat.

6. Do it on both sides.

“Ab Thrash” Movement #3 - Single Arm Cable

Pull

Exercise Rest Reps Tempo Sets

Single 120 8-12 XOX 2-5

Arm sec. each (explosive) Circuits
Cable side 
Push

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1. Facing the cable machine, grab a cable with an

extended arm and in a lunge position with the opposite
leg up.
2. Draw your belly button in and push off of the front leg,
rotate your torso and pull the cable backwards.
3. You will end up with the front leg straight and your
back leg will carry the load… as shown above.

4. Be sure to keep an upright posture and your belly

button in.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat.
6. Do it on both sides.

"Ab Thrash” Movement #4 - Cable

Flexion/Rotation
Cable Flexion Rotation 

Exercise Rest Reps Tempo Sets

120 sec 8-12 each XOX 2-5

side  (explosive) Circuits

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1. Assume a lunge position facing the cable machine,

and grab the rope attachment with both hands.
2. Keep your shoulders unshrugged, belly button drawn in
and chest up.

3. Initiate the movement by pushing off of the front leg.

4. As you begin to straighten the front leg, ex over as if
you were crunching and continue towards the ground
with both hands.

5. Maintain control of the weight as you rotate back into

the original position.
6. Repeat eight to 12 times and then switch sides.

“Ab Thrash” Movement #5 - Swiss Ball Cable

Crunch

Exercise Rest Reps Tempo Sets

Swiss Ball Cable 120 10-15 Slow to 2-5

Crunch sec. each Moderate Circuits

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1. Grab the rope attachment for the cables while lying

across a Swiss Ball, as shown above. Be sure to set the
cable into the low position.
2. From this supine position, draw your belly button in
and curl up one vertebra at a time until your abs are
completely contracted.
3. Slowly reverse the curl, ending with the head and neck.

4. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

References
1. Chek, P. Before And Beyond The Core, audio interview.
www.ptonthenet.com , March 2006
2. Chek, P. Movement That Matters, San Diego, CA: CHEK
Institute, 2000

3. Chek, P. Scienti c Balance Training,

www.ptonthent.com , 2005.
4. Chek, P. Scienti c Core Conditioning, correspondence
course and video tape series. San Diego, CA: CHEK
Institute, 1998.

5. Constable, George. TimeFrame: The Human Dawn.

Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1990.
6. Richardson, C et al. Therapeutic Exercise For Spinal
Segmental Stabilization in Low Back Pain. Edinburgh:
Churchill Livingstone, 1999
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7. Sibley, CG, Ahlquist JE. 1984. The phylogeny of the

hominoid primates as indicated by DNA-DNA
hybridization. J Mol Evol 20: 22-25.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ELLIOTT HULSE

Elliott Hulse, CSCS, coaches strength and speed

athletes to get super strong and fast in his "bare bones"
training facility in St. Petersburg, Florida. Using the
same high intensity programs and techniques that
create world class athletes, Elliott has created the rst
and only TRUE no BS Men's Fitness Boot Camp. This is
attended by "Regular Joe's" who are sick and tired of the
boring, traditional tness routines and are hungry for
REAL Fitness results for REAL Men.

As an ex-Division 1AA football MVP and currently a

competitive Strongman, Elliott uses his "real world"
experience and "in the treches" knowledge to support
you in unleashing your true strength, speed and tness
potential.

Full Author Details

RELATED CONTENT CONTENT FROM ELLIOTT HULSE

3D Abs
http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Thrash-Your-Abs-3060 10/13
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Nick Nilsson | Articles

The Inner Unit

Paul Chek | Articles

Before the Core - Part 1

Anthony Carey | Articles

Training with Bands and Pulleys - Part 1: Beyond

Free-Weight
Juan Carlos Santana | Articles

Can Strong Abs Prevent Injury and Enhance

Performance?
Barry Brown | Articles

Training the Abdominals

Lou Barrie | Articles

Please login to leave a comment

Comments (4)

Allum, Ray | 12 Jul 2012, 15:47 PM

Three letters...TRX

Reply

Wahlstrom, Matthew | 02 Mar 2010, 19:02 PM

Great Article, too many training sessions incorporate (saggital

movements only ) for your core. This gives you all 3 planes of

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motion with upper and lower body movements ..

William Thompson
District manager
Personal Training
Fitness First VA
Nasm-Cpt CES,PES

Reply

Donnelly, Liz | 02 Sep 2009, 18:15 PM

In searching for info on "core" work I ran across your article.

Elliot, this is excellent! You have given me ideas to incorporate
the movements into my Fitcamp classes that exercisers can do
with partners and tubes as opposed to the cable machine. (I
don't think I'll be able to have them do #4 & #5, but can still
integrate the midsection with other exercises.)

Thank you!

Respectfully,
Liz Donnelly
http://TrainingByLiz.com
http://FamilyFitnessGuru.com

Reply

Bott, Carmen | 18 Aug 2009, 05:24 AM

The picture of the girl on the right has poor form (Ab Thrash”
Movement #4 - Cable Flexion/Rotation)

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- she is not hinging at her hips; she is exing her spine, which
is dangerous under load and velocity.

Reply

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