Squat Are a Poor Ab Exercise

[CJ Gotcher]

At least according to this article (yes, that was a clickbait headline).

It's essentially a defense of a quote the author (CSCS, FMS, current BS undergrad) earlier made on Twitter that hit the Q&A forum:

“Contracting the abdominals would result in a spinal flexion moment, partly countering of the extension moment produced by the erectors. This would result in a faster fatiguing of the erectors, a smaller net extension moment, unnecessarily larger compression forces, and possibly, less weight lifted. The rectus abdominis is an antagonist of the erector spinae; it would be, to be blunt, stupid to contract it, let alone to a large degree, in a movement that requires such a large extensor moment. The idea that the abdominals work to a large degree in movements like the squat and deadlift is not only unfounded and unsubstantiated, but is also unwarranted, as it does not make sense, biomechanically, to activate them in such a movement.”

As you can probably guess, I don't agree with the bulk of his conclusion (my talking points are in the comments section of the article), but I'm curious about everyone's take on this one.

[PowerDaClean]

They're a poor rectus abdomins exercise. But everyone who seems to attack this idea of squats and deads being shit for core development seem to forget about the transverse abdominus (your inner abs), which is the muscle you're supposed to keep contracted during a Squat. Not your rectus abdomins.

[Cody]

Not sure why this is even worth addressing. You must valsalva to lift a maximum load efficiently since a valsalva creates a rigid trunk, which is required for efficient force transfer. A valsalva requires the contraction of the abdominal musculature to create the high intra abdominal pressure that is the hallmark of the valsalva. Therefore, since you must maximally contract your abs in the squat while under load, the squat trains the abs in an isometric fashion.

[PowerDaClean]

Not sure why this is even worth addressing. You must valsalva to lift a maximum load efficiently since a valsalva creates a rigid trunk, which is required for efficient force transfer. A valsalva requires the contraction of the abdominal musculature to create the high intra abdominal pressure that is the hallmark of the valsalva. Therefore, since you must maximally contract your abs in the squat while under load, the squat trains the abs in an isometric fashion.

Right, but you're mainly contracting your "inner abs" (I know the scientific term for them but I'm lazy), not really your "outer abs". This article seems to think that one contracts their outer abs during a squat, which have the primary function of flexing the spine and therefore, squats are a bad abs exercise if your definition of abs is "rectus abdominis".

[Cody]

Right, but you're mainly contracting your "inner abs" (I know the scientific term for them but I'm lazy), not really your "outer abs"

All of your abs are contracting when you strap a quarter ton to your back.

[PowerDaClean]

All of your abs are contracting when you strap a quarter ton to your back.

Sure. But your inner abs are doing most of the work, as their job is to actually compress the abdominals to stabilize the spine.

[Bill Been]

Every time I read one of these brain vomits of the "Big Name Exercise X Is Actually a Poor Developer of Y" type, I'm always struck by how untrue they are when viewed through the lens of someone who has been through a methodical strength-increasing program like the Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression. I was self-taught in LBBS, so I started pretty light: my first 5x3 was 90 lbs. Once I had progressed through adding ten pounds a session, then five pounds a session, reset 15% after my seminar to cement my corrected movement, then progressed back to 325x5x3, with a similar deadlifting story unfolding alongside that - guess what my abs were doing during those most recent work sets? Exactly what they're freaking supposed to do, that's what. Guys like this always, always, ALWAYS, want trainees to do something other than "The Show". If squat, press, dead, bench, and power clean are all a trainee needs to be as seamlessly strong as possible, this guy's vast respository of "ab exercises" are unnecessary. Your point about what we all do automatically in our mid-section when confronted with a heavy lifting task is right on point. This piece is the result of sitting around thinking pseudo deep thoughts that revolve around the primacy of agonist/antagonist, despite the fact that that paradox doesn't seem to mean much in the real world of how we run, push, pull, and squat.

[Cody]

Sure. But your inner abs are doing most of the work, as their job is to actually compress the abdominals to stabilize the spine.

Are you telling me I have weak "outer abs?" I better correct this immediately!

/sarcasm
#doesheevenlift

[PowerDaClean]

What's funny is that they try to measure the usage of the abs by the outer musculature, since they can't measure the inner musculature, which is is the one actually doing the work they claim the abs don't do.

[PowerDaClean]

Are you telling me I have weak "outer abs?" I better correct this immediately!

/sarcasm
#doesheevenlift

Haha. Sure, your entire ab musculature gets stronger as a result of doing heavy squats. But your inner abs are the main ones you will develop, which in turn alters the appearance of your outer abs because as the inner abs get stronger, they tighten the outer abs.