Deadlifts And Squats DO NOT Make Your Waist Bigger
Last Update On December 15, 2011
Believe it or not there are many people who avoid deadlifts and squats from fear of increasing their mid-section. However this is one of the biggest myths and unfortunately was started by one of the best bodybuilding trainers - Vince Gironda. While he was right that squats may make your glutes disproportional compared to your legs he was wrong about this this one.
According to those who spread this myth the mid-section increases because you push it out during the exercises. However the thing that is called “pushing out” is nothing more than an isometric ab contraction and does not cause that much hypertrophy as you believe. The abdominals grow even slower than forearms and calves with high tendon insertions. The main reason for that is called evolution.
Our bodies are programmed to survive. When you get drunk your liver has to take care of it, when you get sick your immune system kicks in, when your teeth start hurting you body sends you a signal to take care of it... For the very same reason we tend to store and gain most of the fat around the waist. Imagine what would happen if all that fat was on your ankles for example - you would move much harder. The body is smart and knows that. That's why it naturally limits the mid-section hypertophy - if I am able to gain as much muscle mass on my abs as I can gain on my legs and hips I would look like a kangoroo and will be immobilized to a certain point. That's why it won't happen.
Range of motion is very important
The best exercise are always the one that offer the longest range of motion. The greater the movement the greater the exercise. Also during full range exercises there is more muscle recruitment and growth in return. If I do partial squat or leg presses it's all quads. When I go full range the hips kick in.
For the very same reason squats and deadlifts fail to produce as much mid-section hypertrophy as a heavy weighted sit-up on a classic Roman chair will. Truth be told the Roman chair sit-up won't produce that much growth either.
Get serious...how much will your abs grow in the first place? Half an inch in 25 years is my best bet.
Any questions.
"Yes, you are wrong. Dorian Yates says that you should not perform weighted leg raises and sit-ups to avoid spoiling you physique. You mad?"
In fact you are totally wrong. Let's take a look at male gymnasts who perform tons of mid-section work including weighted leg raises and so on.
The truth is that the big guts you see on bodybuilders today are not caused by weighted sit-ups...etc let alone deadlifts and squats. The main reason for the pregnant look are - yo-yo high calorie diets, growth hormone, insulin...insert other chemicals of choice here. Let's take a look at Reg Park who did a lot of squats and deadlifts and compare his waist lines to the ones of Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates.
Sure Dorian...your gut is caused by leg raises.
This guy did tons of deadlifts and squats.
Hmmm....ok. But those are bodybuilders. What about powerlifters - their waist lines are as wide as a truck? It must be deads and squats.
No. Most powerlifters appear to have such big guts because of fat rather than exercise. Look at the lower weight classes - most competitors are ripped, even shredded and don't have that big gut look you are talking about. Don't confuse fat with muscle.
Conclusion: When it comes to hypertrophy abs are a different animal than any other muscle group because your body will never allow you to naturally grow big abs. Thick..maybe but your abs won't grow the same way your chest or back will. The body will simply have trouble moving efficiently.
Also squats and deadlifts are for from being the most intensive abs exercises out there and the so called “pushing out” is nothing more than an isometric contraction that can be much more intense during sit-ups, planks, planches....
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