Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 21:54:23 EDT From: Mcsiff@aol.com Subject: Bulging Abs? Someone wrote elsewhere: *** If you train seriously for overall hypertrophy and often for maximal strength, ALL muscles increase in size and "bulge" if they are nearer the surface of the body. As you biceps grow, so they bulge; as your abdominals hypertrophy, they bulge. When we did plenty of standing "Olympic" presses, the constant use of the abs during the "back bending" phase always increased the size of our abs and made them bulge. You have obviously noticed the immense midriff girth of some powerlifters and some weightlifters - some people are unaware of this fact, but powerlifters and weightlifters strongly involve their abdominal musculature during all of their lifts and what amounts mainly to very intense isometric training of the abdominal muscles produces their great strength and size of this region. That, by the way, is why anyone who does serious lifting training, really doesn't have to do much extra training for the "abs". Doesn't all of this make you smile at those who think that doing plenty of strenuous abdominal exercise is somehow going to make the abdominal region more slender? At least this is what so many people seem to believe in the aerobics, "group fitness" and general fitness setting. Dr Mel C Siff Denver, USA http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/ Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 22:39:05 -0400 From: watson@watsonmusic.com Subject: Re: Bulging Abs? Many bodybuilders get that abdominal bulge because of their use of drugs like hGH and insulin. There was a change in bodybuilder's physiques when these drugs were introduced just as there was a change in the 50's when steroid use started to become popular in bodybuilding. Watson (the ninja of nice) Davis Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 00:05:26 EDT From: Mcsiff@aol.com Subject: Bulging Abs? Do you suspect that this is due to the alleged effect of such medication on the intrinsic musculature of the abdominal muscles or due to some effect on the internal organs beneath the abs? Have you come across any research which supports your conclusions? Why do many lifters, wrestlers and other strength athletes who have never used such drugs also display such prominent abs? Dr Mel C Siff Denver, USA Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 09:12:07 -0400 From: "William Frenick" Subject: Bulging Abs and roids Greetings, I will have to search for the info (probably dating back to a college term paper on steroid affects... I hope the paper hasn't petrified by now!) but I thought the bulge from steroid use was actually due to an increase in size (swelling, bloating, whatever) of the intestines. I'm going on fading memories, so anyone with any info can please correct me. I definitely see since increasing the amount of heavy ab work... low rep heavy work I should say, plus doing all squat and bench work with no belt on until the few weeks before a meet, my torso has thickened substantially. The layer of fat on my waist has decreased, yet the muscles have thickened to a point where the "bulging" makes it look like I have a fat midsection. However, the muscles are stronger and in better condition then ever. It was fun to let my brother in law slug me in the "gut" when he was teasing me about it, and laughing at his expression when he found out there was a lot of muscle there, not a soft blob like he has. *L* Of course, all the extra eating required to sustain powerlifter training (for me anyway) tends to stretch the old stomach, which pushed out on the abdominal wall, adding to the bulge in my case... Bill Date: Fri, 07 Jun 2002 10:25:04 -0400 From: watson@watsonmusic.com Subject: Re: Bulging Abs? On 7 Jun 2002 at 0:05, Mcsiff@aol.com wrote: > *** Do you suspect that this is due to the alleged effect of such > medication on the intrinsic musculature of the abdominal muscles or > due to some effect on the internal organs beneath the abs? Have you > come across any research which supports your conclusions? Why do many > lifters, wrestlers and other strength athletes who have never used > such drugs also display such prominent abs? I think there's a pretty big difference between a bodybuilder with a bulging abdomen at 4% bodyfat and powerlifter with bulging abs at 17+% bodyfat and a wrestler with a bulging 6-pack at 6% bodyfat. I don't think the original question was about wrestler's having a very visible 6-pack because of hypertrophy or a 275+# powerlifter. As I'm sure you're aware, with hypertrophy of the rectus abdominus you can have a visible 6-pack at a relatively high bodyfat percentage especially if you have a natural tendency to store visceral fat. Both of those cases are different than what you see with bodybuilders. Before I say anything else, let me say that drug use is not something I know a lot about. :) But. From my conversations with bodybuilders who use hGH and insulin as well as conversations with people like Patrick Arnold and Will Brink, it's fairly widely known in bodybuilding circles that hGH and insulin increases the size of the internal organs and causes a bulging stomach. This makes some bodybuilders look almost fat even though they are at an extremely low bodyfat percentage. I'm not sure whether that increase in size is permanent or not but I don't think it is. From what I've heard, Dorian Yates looks much more normal/healthy and has lost that bulge since he's retired. Personally, from abstracts I've read, I'd be worried about the effects of steroids on the heart because of cardiac hypertrophy but that's the only internal organ I know of that's effected by steroid use. (And Patrick has dismissed that worry as unimportant.) Watson (the ninja of nice) Davis Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 12:04:52 -0500 From: "ironbear" Subject: RE: Bulging Abs? If you take enough creatine it will do the same unless its the liquid. But it mostly effects the older but heavy models. speaking from experience of my younger days, spending time on roids for almost 7 yrs straight & being in PL. I never got the abdominal bulge. But I do agree with Siff. He has most likely & common sense answer to this question. Watson not everything can be blamed on roids. Its just like I heard on TV from ABC News. Some trainer in NY city. His statement was: "You can take roids & train for one whole year & when you come off of them you will go back to where you were when you started." I'm sorry but that statement is so full S%$t, & on the other hand if that's what happen to him. Then I guess he really didn't train right. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying you will retain it all, but if done right 75% yes.